single parenting

I am single-parenting again this week. I will be so, so glad when Big J is done with his committee work. This is not to say that he won't travel any more, but at least he won't travel as much. I am sure that little j will be as happy as I am. Although when we are single-parenting she gets a lot of perks she doesn't get when there are two of us (e.g., half an hour of TV viewing before school).

I generally don't mind the weeks that little j and I spend alone. We are good company for each other, although she has declared that at times I can be "boring." I suppose that is true to an extent. I'm not the playmate parent that she has with Big J. But honestly, doll house (and the related game of 'ding-dong') are just not that mentally stimulating. Plus, and I imagine this is the case with most 3 to 5 year-olds, little j is pretty darn bossy. We have to play by her rules.

I haven't yet developed the skills to deal with a small person that absolutely insists that all games follow her obscure and sometimes secretive rules and then cries when her rules aren't followed. You'd think that after two or so years I would have it down. Sadly no. Playtime still occasionally devolves into whining, tears, and the rare full-blown tantrum. Let me qualify -- playtime with mom. I do question her rules and she, in turn, questions mine. And, this will not come as a surprise to those that know me and little j, we are both incredibly stubborn. Playtime with dad is generally pretty calm and this, I believe, is due to the fact that he doesn't question her rules. So we have this odd parenting dichotomy that happens.

Therefore, I have earned the "boring" moniker. Frankly, I'm okay with it. After all, how bad can it be to have a mom that facilitates cookie-making, enjoys tickling AND being tickled, can match a four-year old's silliness, and reads tons of books?