When you're kids aren't babies, but you still have the nanny in tow; is this so you can sit on your phone and she can parent???

What the hot hell is going on in some people’s minds about their kids? I mean for real, children are not accessories they’re living, breathing, humans who need affection, communication, connection, and love. Now, I should probably not assume because two parents at the airport who were on their phones; well, actually one was reading the menu of the airport lounge for what seemed like FOREVER, while the dad was on his phone. Anyway passed on that alone, I shouldn’t jump to the conclusion that they don’t “love” or enjoy their three children. I mean they gave them life, they were obviously taking them on a trip somewhere, so they must totally value and love them, right?

Hmmm???

I want to say yes, but their actions screamed way more, “these are our accessory kids” to me than “wow, look at us with children, that we get to be in a relationship with and parent. Yay us!”

Yannick and I were extremely traditional, you know the story, he went out to work, I worked when I booked gigs, and when I had my gym. Even when I had my gym, the entire class schedule was built around being able to wake up our girls, feed them breakfast, get them to school, and have lunch with them, and pick them up after school. I completely recognize that this was a gigantic luxury, and we went without a lot for many years to make our desires, which was to have me home with them, work. I was lucky, I owned the gym, so I was my own boss, and it just so happened that the popular times people wanted to work out fell in line with their school schedule. I appreciate that not all people have occupations that allow for them to stay at home with their kids the way I did, and in fact some couples both have high powered jobs/careers that don’t allow for them to take the time off to be with their kids all day, everyday. Doctors, and lawyers come to mind.

But I’m not talking about that. I’m not shocked by the fact that some people have nannies to help them with their kids due to demanding careers, I get that. What I’m talking about are the travel nannies. People who take their nannies on family vacations, when the children are big enough to carry their own backpacks, eat their food on their own; you know little humans, not crawling, high need babies. Also, isn’t the entire point of going on a family holiday meant to be a trip that brings the family closer, aren’t they for uninterrupted family bonding?? Why not leave the kids at home with the nanny instead of having them there while not giving them your undivided attention; I mean at least while you’re in the lounge, for like an hour. Maybe I’m out of touch, have families changed that much that even family holidays are now devoted to people getting closer to their social media accounts? Are holiday’s now all about getting 8-12 hours of quality time with your smart phones, instead of stuff like work, relationships and children getting in your way of that??? Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm???

Anyway, I sat in utter disbelief watching a mother and a father sit in their chairs on their devices, reading what have you, while the nanny got the kids water, took them to the bathroom, bounced the youngest, who must have been two or three, on her knee while singing to her. To me it is such a WTAF as to not only how people live like this, but the why of it. I loved every second of sitting, and cuddling with my girls. Life was too busy, and the moments that we had where we could just BE with one another, touching, chatting, what have you, are some of the most glorious memories I have. I would never have wanted to give those moments to somebody else. I cannot reconcile the people who have children, and can, and I’m not even maternal folks. Even still it simply doesn’t compute with me. Perhaps it is because I’m on the other side of all of this, and getting our three girls in one room is becoming more and more difficult as they move on into their own lives. Maybe, because I have lived how quickly time passes, that I can look at these scenarios and appreciate all the missed opportunities they don’t yet know they’re creating. Either way I wish families would take more time together to be together when they are physically together. I wish for the sake of society, that people would throw back a bit more to some of the incredible qualities that used to make up the “traditional” family.

A girl can dream, can’t she???