Being a reporter vs. being a parent

It's not about fear of messing her up, at least for me. It's about how happy she is when she sees that I'm there. I can't buy her everything she sees on tv that she wants. I can't let her do all the things she wants to do. But sometimes it is so easy to put a smile on her face. If I can manage it, I'm there.

 

Damn straight.

There were eighth grade formals in my district last weekend. Think about that for a second.

 

Only if you have a sidewalk leading up to the school.

Here in the south, they do not beleive in shoulders on roads so walking to school is very, very unsafe.

 

I would feel more guilty missing a little league game than this graduation.

It's also tought to ask parents who might be broke to spend money they don't have on crap. Mizzou, did they provide the cap and gown?

 

Then they should not call it a graduation. I know it's nice to make the kids feel good, but you need to draw the line somewhere.

 

I considered it a good day if my mom, who mostly worked the 2-10 p.m. shift at Super America when I was kid, could make it to my baseball games. Most days she couldn't, and I understood. It wasn't until I was in fifth or sixth grade that she started working the 6 a.m.-2 p.m. shift and could make it.

 

To go drop a kid off at a game then go home to sit on your ass, to me, is unacceptable.

No shame in missing something for work.

 

Our youngest of six graduated from h.s. the other day ... we will be empty nesters soon ... don't think for a moment we would miss the chance to squeeze out one last drop of childhood experience ... oh, and it was assumed by mgmt. that I would be covering a h.s. hockey ring ceremony that day ..... uh, no ....

 

For the two years that my kid played high school volleyball, most of the matches started at 5. My shift started at 4. I told my boss I'd be in by 6:30. He said, "Drive safely and get here when you can." I have a great boss.

 

I don't have any kids, so I can't speak about the guilt factor from that angle, but when I was growing up, my dad was the sports editor at the local paper, and usually worked nights.

When I was in high school, it was just me and him, and I know he had to miss a lot of softball games and school plays, and I would of loved to had him there, but I didn't resent it. I did/do appreciate his work ethic, which I think he passed on to me, and he never missed my big events like high school graduation. Also, when he wasn't working, he made sure I knew our time together was special. And despite his long hours and responsibility, I never ever felt like I wasn't the most important thing to him. As a grown woman, I still feel that way.

I think as long as you can give your kids that feeling, missing some events won't matter so much in the long run.