Mom by Choice

My Childhood vs. AJ’s Childhood

Back in nostalgia lane. I can’t help but compare how much my childhood differs from AJ’s. In our village now, I don’t see many kids playing tag or hide-and-seek. There’s a park, sure, but with the way things are right now in the Philippines, it’s a risk to let children play on their own in parks. Right now, it’s so hot inside the house. I want my son to be friends with other kids in the neighborhood like I used to in La Union.

We used to draw circles on the pavement and shoot stuff inside those circles. We’d ask some cranky old neighbor to share his Hibiscus flowers so we can mash and mix them with soap, for bubble blowing. More importantly, we’d go catching dragonflies and then let them go when we got bored.

Maybe progress now means having your child inside the house all the time playing video games on an expensive gadget and watching DVDs, but I can’t help but realize just how my son is missing out on all the fun of outdoor playing.

My resolution now is to earn enough from my freelancing so that I may be able to buy swing sets for AJ on Christmas. Since a second baby isn’t possible now, I’ll just be his playmate ’til he gets tired of playing with someone who says “No, too dangerous!” all the time.

Tags: playground swings, playgrounds, playsets, swing set, swing sets