We?re not one of those families that does everything together, especially when it comes to physical activity. This past summer, I remembered why.
In the middle of a forest path, my nine-year-old daughter put her hands on her hips, looked up at the sky and declared, ?I?m hot and I?m tired.?
Instantly, my hands formed into fists and my jaw clenched. It was an instinctual reaction. I knew what was coming. We?d been here before. I bit my tongue and prayed for the best.
We?d rented a cottage for our summer vacation, and we?d been looking for a group activity that didn?t involve a screen. The hike had been my idea. It was met with mild enthusiasm. But the day was beautiful, and we had a new puppy who loved to explore, and let?s face it, even though it was a 10-kilometre round-trip hike up (and down) a mountain, it wasn?t challenging?we were basically walking. That didn?t stop my daughter from complaining.
?I hate hiking. Who thought this was a good idea"?she whined.
My 11-year-old son, on the other hand, was fine. It takes a lot for him to complain. I?m not sure if it?s stoicism or if he?s just off in his head somewhere, but the net result is far less maintenance.
My husband and I realized early on we had created two very different children?it makes sense, seeing how we?re two very different people. He?s scarily smart, is always rational and has endless patience. I am compassionate and like to joke around, but I?ve got a really short fuse. The kids are strange combinations o...