My Real Life

May 13, 2013

Projecting

Filed under: Uncategorized — Amy @ 6:00 am

I’ve always tried very hard not to project my own “stuff” onto my kids.

I’m terrified of dolls and clowns, but if one of the kids had wanted a clown doll, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye.

I’m allergic to seafood and shellfish, but even though I don’t make it, if it’s being served wherever we are, I encourage the monkeys to try it.

I love a good scare, but two of my monkeys have a fairly low tolerance for the fear, so I don’t watch things that might be too scary for them when they are around.

(I’ve seen way too many parents go the “suck it up…it’s not that scary” route and that never ends well for anyone.)

So, I thought I was doing a good job of not projecting my “stuff” onto the monkeys.

Until last night.

I have to sleep with socks on and I have to sleep under at least one sheet or blanket.

I might kick my socks off while I’m sleeping, but for some reason, it is very difficult for me to fall asleep without socks on.

I can’t even nap just laying on the couch.  I have to be covered by something.

It’s always been this way.

It’s getting warm at night, which is not a good thing for me, because I like a cold bedroom so I can burrow in.

It also makes it difficult, because my socks and my sheets make me hot, but I can’t fall asleep without them.

I persevere and have lived through 41 summers of it, so I know I’ll get by.

And then I go to tuck in the monkeys.

And Monkey in the Middle and Baby Monkey are clad in only their underwear, laying on top of the covers in their respective beds.

“We’re ready for songs, Mom!” they called out.

I sit down on Baby’s bed first and say “Don’t you want me to cover you up?”

“No, it’s too hot,” he replies.

“But you won’t be able to fall asleep!” I respond before I can catch myself.

“Why not?” he asks.

“Oh, nothing…I’m sure it will be fine.”

So, I sing and kiss him and move to his brother’s bed where I do the same, and I leave them both on top of their covers to try to sleep.

But I feel unsettled.

How will they fall asleep?

No socks!  No sheets!  It’ll be impossible!

And so it seems as thought as well as I thought I was doing, there are some things that seem non-negotiable to me in the world of projecting, because if Mama’s gotta have socks and sheets, shouldn’t everyone have to have socks and sheets?

Of course, when I went to check on them in the middle of the night, both were sound asleep.

Under the covers.

Just sayin’.

So, what about you?

Is there anything that is a fear, phobia, tic, quirk of yours that you have tried not to impose on your kids?

Let a sister know she’s not alone!

1 Comment »

  1. Well first of all you SO know you are not alone cuz I think I shared that your falling asleep WITH socks on makes me hyperventilate and perspire at the mere thought of it. Lol. I’m with you on the covers and cold room but the socks….whoa nelly.

    My “quirkiest” quirk that I work super hard at not projecting is my loathe of sponges. Yes, that’s right I said it, sponges. I hate a kitchen sponge like its the plague.

    I don’t want a nasty moldy stinky sponge anywhere near me and the mere chance that I’d touch one and have my hand smell like mildew (which i can smell from another room btw) the rest of the day inspires me to just avoid the possible horror by simply throwing them out if my husband has done what he always does…..leaves it in the bottom of the sink. I don’t care if its “brand new”. If its left wet in the sink I get a paper towel and into the trash it goes.

    Now, in the interest of not raising a non dish washing child I shut my mouth and allow the reusable handiwipes when the kid wants to wash dishes which at age five is apparently still “fun.”

    Comment by Heather S. P. — May 13, 2013 @ 7:23 am | Reply


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