My kids have only been out of school for three days and already I’ve heard the two youngest sing–often–the popular song called, “I’m bored.”
If they were growing up in the 70s and 80s like me, they’d be out every day until the street lamps came on. I had three good friends who all lived only blocks from me (and my best friend was two doors down); I had a bike I rode everywhere; and I had a summer pass to the movie theater where every Saturday we could see a dollar matinee of Disney movies. I spent hundreds of hours in the library, hundreds of quarters in the PacMan and Centipede machines at the pizza place, and rode my bike likely a hundred miles each summer, all within the confines of my hometown of San Carlos, California. I don’t think I ever complained about being bored. (Watch, my mom will be reading this and tell me I’ve completely rewritten history. But this is how *I* remember it!)
Still, my childhood was different than my kids, and I miss that I can’t let them loose to roam the streets and ride their bikes to a friend’s house. Even before we moved out of town on two acres, I wouldn’t have let them out of my sight if they were playing out front.
It’s sad to think that an era has ended. I’m sure there are some places where parents feel safe to let their kids roam free, but they are few and far between.
I’ll be sending my kids to a day camp, but only a couple days a week. I thought giving them two weeks “off” where they could just relax, read, play games, have fun at home was a gift … but I was wrong. Because they’re bored.
Working from home has a lot of advantages … I can write in my pajamas, for example. A typical day has me writing after the kids go to school until about noon, where I go on my treadmill for 45 minutes, then shower, get dressed (usually in clean pajamas, unless I have to leave the house later), make lunch, and write until the kids get home. I don’t have to wear make-up, I have a mini-fridge in my office stocked with water, and no one is around to bother me. If I want to write until the wee-hours of the night and stumble into bed at 3 in the morning, I can. If I want to get up early and write, I can. If I want to take the day off to see the Giants game … yep, I can.
But it also has disadvantages. We’ve talked about them a lot here at Murder She Writes — such as people thinking we have TIME to do things because, after all, we’re at home; or being expected to run errands or drive on field trips because, we don’t have a “job.” Fortunately, I’ve learned to say no (a lot!) and am not expected to do these things … most of the time.
Still, one of the big disadvantages is that I don’t have an outside office to go to when the kids are home. I don’t “leave” for work. On occasion this isn’t bad — like weekends and one-day holidays! — but in the summer, the days drag on, it’s hot, the kids are bored, and interruptions are not good for my muse. (Yes, she’s a bitch, and I have to live with her!)
I’m so looking forward to sending them off to summer camp three days a week!
However, I am grateful that I have two older kids, both with their driver’s licenses, who have pitched in to help entertain, take to movies, take swimming, and the like.
I just wish, sometimes, that my kids could have had the childhood I did.
On another note, it’s publication day for STOLEN, the sixth book in the Lucy Kincaid series!
Unlike Deborah Coonts, I don’t get a tour … maybe when I have a hardcover out, but until then, it’s just me and my little ‘ole mass market paperback. But that’s okay because I’m working on revisions for my next book, and traveling right now would make me scream. (Okay, I’m just a wee bit jealous of Deb and her Lucky Bastard tour … but she’s so nice and fun and likes to drink champagne on writing panels, I’ll get over it!)
STOLEN is a bit different for me … I’m focusing for the first time on Lucy’s boyfriend, Sean Rogan, and how his past catches up with him. It was really fun, and scary, to write mostly from my hero’s POV. And he’s not completely law-abiding. I had to make him likable while also making him a criminal.
RT Book Reviews gave STOLEN a Top Pick, and so did my mom. (Okay, I know, we’re not supposed to tell people that relatives like our books, but my mom is very honest with me. I can tell you exactly which of my books she likes the best … and which ones she didn’t like at all.)
My publisher, Minotaur Books, created this great page for STOLEN that includes info on the book, an excerpt, and character snapshots … Check it out! And you can also watch this trailer, which I really love:
Now, for me, it’s back to revisions on the next Lucy Kincaid book! And hoping that my kids aren’t quite as bored today …
I had a childhood first living in a cabin with a lake two miles up the trail. My brother and I built forts, climbed rocks, played in the creek and friends would come up and we would hike up to the lake. Later we lived on a lake and spent the summer waterskiing and going to street dances and the dump to watch the bears.
But my daughter didn’t have that more carefree childhood and now her daughter won’t either. Times have changed and it really is too bad.
With my daughter, I started this. Whenever she said she was bored when she was small, I said, “Must be time for a nap.” She found something to do. When she got older, if she said she was bored, she got a chore to do. It worked well. 🙂 She at least quit saying she was bored. 🙂
My heart goes out to you. Just this morning I was feeling stressed. A book deadline coming up fast and lots of demands because it is summer and we have a lot of company. Not having a “real” job is great most of the time. But there are times… 🙂
My grandparents had a cabin only 30 minutes away and we went up there almost every weekend. I loved it.
I love my job, too … but like you say, there are times … (BTW, I always tell them to clean their room if they’re bored. That works to get them out of my office for about 30 minutes …)
LOL Allison. I love it.
Allison,
I hear you! Summer is always a challenge for me, too, for the very same reason. I have fantasies of having a loft apartment downtown where I could escape to some super cool writing haven away from all the distractions of home… not holding my breath, though.
Congratulations on the release of STOLEN!!
LOL — I want that writing loft, too! In NYC. Ha.
I remember those days. We built underground forts and dammed the neighborhood creek to make a swimming hole. I remember getting a call from my dad after I was grown to tell me that a bulldozer had found the fort–and was “trapped” in the hole. I guess we were lucky that we didn’t kill ourselves in a cave-in or were better engineers than we should have been. We rode all over town on our bikes, or on homemade skate boards (roller skate wheels nailed to a 2×4). The Only didn’t really have the opportunity to do those things but we managed to keep her entertained–or she entertained herself.
I’m off to buy STOLEN. I can’t wait to read Sean’s POV!
What fun! We had a creek near our house that we would walk along and even though it paralleled one of the town’s major streets, when you were down in there, you couldn’t hear anything and it felt like we were in a completely different world.
I hear ya. That’s how my childhood was, too. I don’t know if things are more dangerous these days, or if we’re more aware of possibilities of danger. Child abductions make instant headlines now. Were there no abductions back then, or were we simply not aware of them? Do we leave absolutely nothing to risk anymore? No one wants to be that parent who dared to let their kid bike two miles to a friend’s house and they got hit by a car. Is the risk of being hit by a car greater today than it was 20 years ago? For my own peace of mind, I keep a tight leash on my kids. Two nights ago I wouldn’t let my 13 YO walk 200 yards to a friend’s house alone. In a quiet suburban neighborhood. Congrats on the new release. Can’t wait to read it! Let me know when you want to drink champagne on a panel sometime.
I’ll drink champagne with you anytime! 🙂
You bring up a good point, though — is the world more dangerous or are we more fearful? I think both.
Congrats on the release of STOLEN!! by the way!! Can’t wait to read it!
Awww, the days of being home when the streetlights came on. I miss those days. Our grandson doesn’t even get to ride his bike outside unless we are there to watch. How sad is that?
I know where I will be tomorrow! B&N!!
I was in your neck of the woods on Saturday! My daughter had an SAT test at Antioch HS (Yes, an hour and fifteen minute drive! But every seat in Sac and SJ counties were full). I would have emailed, but I worked at Starbucks for 4 hours. Got a lot done, too!
Work is very important. Must have new Brennan novels to read!!
🙂
Ahh the good ol’ days. My husband used to run a 10 mile loop on the summer. Now, NO way letting the girls do that ( even if they wanted too). Summer was turning up the stereo waaay too loud and not doing chores until 15 mins before Mom got home.
Awesome for Lucy and Sean. Good luck on the release. Happy writing while the kids are gone 🙂
Thanks Catherine! 🙂