In honor of the March 11th release of “Mars Needs Moms,” SocialMoms wants to know the top ten things I think my kids would miss about me if I was abducted by aliens. Naturally I got my kids’ input on this question, and my 11 year old son was able to rattle off a number of things he would miss. My teen daughters, on the other hand, claimed they were only able to think of things they wouldn’t miss if I was gone! Nevertheless I put together a list of what I think they would miss, although they might not agree with every point.
- Cooking – Even though they don’t eat everything I make they would miss my cooking. If I was abducted they would have to fend for themselves, and pancakes every night would get old after a few weeks. Plus I have been known to make special smoothies and dishes for my picky eaters.
- Personal alarm clock – My daughters set alarm clocks every day, but they both depend on me to actually make them get out of bed. They complain that I nag them, but they won’t get up without assistance.
- Dance Class – Without me to drive her my daughter could not attend dance class 4 times a week.
- Sports Leagues – Baseball, basketball and soccer would all be impossible for my son without someone to chauffer him back and forth.
- Personal Math Tutor – Half the time my 14 year old doesn’t even pay attention in math class, because she depends on me to re-teach her the math when she gets home from school.
- Homeschooling – If I wasn’t around my 11 year old would have to start attending middle school, which is not what he wants right now. My 18 year old could probably finish her last 3 months of high school on her own, with the exception of Algebra II (see #5).
- Contest Winnings – The kids say they would miss the things I win in contests, like the XBox my son plays as often as possible.
- Planning and Organization – Without me the kids would forget things, like to put the garbage out every Tuesday, and to schedule vet. appointments for the dog and cat. In addition I am the one in charge of vacation planning, and if I wasn’t here vacation would probably be a hastily thrown together fishing trip with spam for dinner.
- Voice of Reason – The kids need someone around the point out the flaws in their grand plans, like the llama stable they want to build in the backyard. It sounds like a great idea, but there are a few logistical issues they haven’t considered, like zoning regulations.
- My Exciting Personality – I’d like to think they would miss me a little for something other than what I do for them. Hopefully they’d miss having me to talk to!
Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms blogging program, for a gift card worth $25. For more information on how you can participate, click here.