There are times, as a parent, that you find yourself pushing your children to do things that you know they want to do, but are a little scared to try.
It is a moment when I waiver sometimes, wondering how much of a shove is a good thing, and how much they just aren't ready for.
Usually it is a fairly logical situation, the first class of something they want to study, the first day of school, whatever.
Today I found myself giving them a shove, and I wasn't wavering. It was something I was absolutely certain they would want to try, but were nervous of starting. I was certain they would be glad they had done it, and just needed the initial shove to get started.
It was weird however. You see, tonight was the correfoc infantile...as in...kids playing with fireworks and running through them. Remember please again, that these are not fireworks like we think of in N.A., they spray sparks that extinguish in fractions of seconds, so they look impressive, but....
Well, the kids were kitted out in long pants, socks, runners, cotton jackets with hoods, scarves over their faces, hair tucked back, and safety glasses. So was I. Though I didn't have a hood, a straw hat sufficed.
They did need a little initial shove to get started, and they wanted me to go too.
I gave the shove, and I went too, and they were very glad they did it. Bragging rights at school, you know.
It did feel weird to be shoving my kids towards fireworks though.
Quite weird.
My only problem were the short kids with fireworks, instead of the sparks raining down on me, they kind of sprayed up...I had to run/walk bent almost double to keep them above the brim of my hat.
7 comments:
what a strange and interesting tradition :). Good thing your hair survived the event ;)
Fireworks are an odd thing for most Australians. It has been over 30 odd years since they were sold on the open market, the effects of them on our dry bush in summer has been devestating. Now we just get an Ultra Big show on NYE.
Sometimes I think my kids have missed out on something....
Goodness, is there ever a month without a festival of some sort in Spain? You've certainly immersed youselves in the culture. Well done you. Not sure our kids would have liked the mass sparks, they were always cowering at Guy Fawkes events - mind you some of the bangs these day shake houses! Keep it up.
Trevor
Yes, shoving them into the fireworks would go against all prior parenting inclinations.
Would have been great to see a picture of you running/walking all bent over!
(Glad you emerged safely from the spark inferno.)
elPadawan, yes indeed a good thing, kind of ruins an evening if your hair catches on fire.
Lynda, I am not sure you can buy them on the open market in Canada either, but they love them here, you should SEE the sales in June for St Joan day...OMG
Trevor. I swear to you, no. Never a month goes by without some kind of festival. It is the truth.
Beth, it was weird, I didn't have the nerve to bring the camera into the inferno. The children, no problem. The camera, no...sorry, no can do.
Pretty warped, eh?
Wow, the people there do some odd things. It does sound rather fun though. I push my kids to have experiences they wouldn't normally venture into, especially times they may never get back. When the kids were quite young we went to see the Musical Ride in Fort Saskatchewan. We sat very close to the front and we got to pet a horse at the end. Our daughter C was 4 and too timid and the 5 minutes passed and she began to cry. It was the perfect teaching moment on missed opportunities one may never get back. When we went up to see the town's grazing sheep, she chased them around until she had pet each one. She has been the type of kid ever since who although shy and timid will go out on a limb to not miss an opportunity that may not come up again.
Dawn that is so true...it is difficult sometimes to know if you are doing the right thing, but I think that part of our role as parents is to push our kids a bit...
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