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I like the idea but it really harped on doing "crafts" with your kids. One of my favorite memories is cooking with my mom and doing other special crafts. Those were special times even if it was just painting snow on the windows at christmas time or making hair bows or puff paint tshirts.

Like @T.H.O.U., I agree with the "vibe" of this article but my parents did go out of their way to do lots of special things for me. Maybe not to the extent that parents do today to show off on their Facebook, but we used to bake together. We had special Christmas pillow cases that would appear on our beds in early December. We did cross stitching and other crafts. And my mom would always make a a somewhat elaborate birthday cake based on my interests every year. I am looking forward to doing some of the same stuff with my LO(s).

I think there is a line somewhere between doing things for/with your kids because you actually want to and it's fun and doing things for/with your kids so that you can look good to other people and get stressed it isn't perfect enough.

@T.H.O.U.: I get the feeling the author was harping more on the latest/trendiest martha stewart-esq crafts or crafts FOR the kids, not with them? I don't really remember doing crafts with my mom sadly!

I def see the spirit of the article & agree... It's really the same mentality that seeps into all areas of our life. I will admit it; I got Amazon wish list full of the most popular & trendy baby items. I browse Land of the Nod & Pottery Barn Kids all the time. I don't think it's bad to give my kids those things if I can afford it, but not seeing those things as a measure of success in being a parent. I know at the end of the day, memories FOR THEM is much more precious than making their 1st birthday party the "best of pinterest" party!

I think the problem is the parents are doing it for other people, or just to be able to gloat on FB/IG about the craft/party/project... And not making it about their kids. I feel like I DO want to make my kids' childhood magical but more in the way to help them appreciate nature, discover fun in mundane things, see the world w/ different eyes, etc.

I don't know why I'm so opinionated about this haha, I don't even have an LO right now!

@snowjewelz: I agree. Is a magical, pinterest worthy nursery really something your newborn will notice? It's so easy to get caught up in these things because other moms are doing it. Not saying it's always the case, but it sometimes feels disingenuous, like each magical moment is really a photo op for the parents' blog/facebook/ig.

I had a similar reaction to you. I found it refreshing, and I definitely tend to get caught up in all the cool crafts and holiday decorations on Pinterest, so it was a good reminder.

I like the way my Mum did things when I was a kid. Christmas, Easter and birthdays really were magical, but very simple. She wrote letters from Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny and we made an advent calendar every year and had a whole lot of family traditions. But it definitely wasn't Pinterest/Instagram ready - lots of wonky-looking kid-made decorations in our house.

Outside of a few special family occasions, she provided the opportunities and materials and then got out of our way. We had a dress-up box that was mostly her old hippy clothes, and a busy box full of simple craft supplies and we were expected to make our own fun.

That being said, I'm totally going to go crazy decorating LO's big girl room. We didn't do anything for her nursery and I love decorating. But I'm fully aware that's mostly for me and not her, though I hope she'll like playing in it.

I agree that the problem is that it seems like most people "stage" beautiful parties, crafts, nurseries, childhood moments because they want to share and show off on FB and the internet. I want to do all that I can to make my daughter's childhood magical and I love holidays and special moments so I like to go all out, but I do it for us, not to share with the world.

@pui: "I think there is a line somewhere between doing things for/with your kids because you actually want to and it's fun and doing things for/with your kids so that you can look good to other people and get stressed it isn't perfect enough."

YES! my mom helped us make crazy crafts when we were growing up because she loved it and was good at it! i WISH i had photos of what we did together, because in my mind, it was the most awesome indian village diorama ever.

i WANT to go on vacations with my kids. yeah, we'll save up and our kids may not remember, but it will be fun for me and DH to see their excitement and make memories for US too.

Flipping lurve!

I dislike the projection and resulting striving - for perfection - that the internet age has thus induced.

However, I am not in the camp of not "entertaining" my kids if that means "rarley playing with them," as this writer (seems to define it and) states his/her parents did and as mine rarely did. I want to do everything with my kid. In the world I grew up in kids were treated like second class citizens. Maybe I still am kinda like a kid but I want to swim and play and run around outside with them.

One of my favorite things about Mexico was that kids were out with adults enjoying the music at night in the streets.

@snowjewelz: THIS. My mom did crafts & fun things with us & I have fond memories. In particular our Christmas traditions were really fun & special. But she did things she knew we would enjoy - not to keep up with folks on Facebook.

I am totally guilty of this though. I bought a St. Patrick's day sleeper for LO for fun & she wore it on family vacation, so multiple people saw it. Yet I felt like it didn't "count" because I forgot to Instagram it! Stupid.

@photojane: I agree. I think her tone is very judgmental towards the opposite spectrum. I don't know what she has against craft projects but she seemed very against crafting at home. I have very fond memories of some of my families holiday activities, crafts and birthday parties and I am doing the same things with my kids. I love making their childhood magical. It is one of my favorite parts of parenthood besides the snuggles, those are definitely my favorite.

I do agree with her statements about showing it on social media outlets. I think it is good to step back and say, am I doing this for my kids and my family or am I doing it for likes on facebook. If it's the later then maybe it can be toned down a bit and make the focus more on the kids. I take pictures of my kids non stop, not because I am staging life for a blog but because I want to have these images as I grow older. Just today my son went into my room and got one of our pictures books out and we looked through it together. He found the pictures of his first birthday and said ""wow mom that was a cool cake you made. Thanks mom you're the best." Does he actually remember his first birthday party with cute cowboy decorations..... nope but he has my pictures and he can feel the emotions that are captured in them.

I also think some of it has to do with feeling pressured into doing these things. If you don't through the biggest prettiest pinterest party then you are doing it wrong. If we aren't making beautiful hand print artwork with our kids then we are doing it wrong. If we don't dress our kids perfectly in designer clothes then they are suffering. Well that's just not true. I love looking at pinterest for party ideas, it doesn't mean my parties are ever going to turn out like that but I do get some cute ideas. I love the summer activity lists, but it doesn't mean every second of our day is going to be high intensity and involved activities. I think as long as people realize that pinterest and everything that they see on facebook is not some level they HAVE to attain to be good enough then it it can be a really fun an useful tool.

I don't think she's targeting crafting. I don't think she's especially targeting anything except the idea that parenting is for show or that somehow parents that don't make every day extravagant are somehow less of a parent. I think she's saying that it's okay to let kids be kids and not Pinterest their life away.

It did make me sad that her parents didn't play with her much. Granted, her circumstances are different than mine, but we intend to play with our kids a lot!

@photojane: I agree. I felt like the article reeked of self-consciousness about her own choices. Like she has to tear down other moms who like all that stuff because she doesn't.

I do agree that kids don't need pinterest-worthy nurseries or expensive vacations, and if you're throwing birthday parties or decorating or crafting to one-up some other moms you have issues. But that's about where my agreement ends.

She advocates spending less time with your kids in favor of making them play by themselves, play video games, or watch tv. All of those things have their place and I have no intention of being a cruise director who is in charge of my kid's entertainment 24/7, but I don't see why parents "hardly ever" interacting with their kids is a good thing. At all.

Regarding the rest of it-- moms have been crafting and throwing parties since there have been moms. I didn't have close in age siblings or live in an area where friends were within walking distance, so all I did was hang out with my mom and my grandparents (who lived across the street). Every day we were baking or crafting or gardening. My grandma was a seamstress and my grandpa was a carpenter so they had an endless supply of projects to do. My dad wasn't around as much because he worked a lot but he made a point of making "magical" days for us. Weekends we'd go hiking or orienteering with him, or he'd take us out for ice cream or occasionally even bust us out of school unexpectedly for a fun daddy/daughter day. And the vacation we took to the beach when I was 6 is an amazing memory for me.

So.. yea. I feel like spending lots of time with your kids and involving them in crafting and baking and exploring are just normal. That's how I grew up and that's how I intend to raise my daughter. I like crafting and baking. I do it before she's here and I did it before pinterest existed. I got married before pinterest existed and still DIY'd everything. And yes, her nursery looks pinterest-y, but so does the rest of my house which has nothing to do with pinterest but rather the fact that pretty spaces make me happy.

If she knew me she'd probably judge me thinking I'm trying too hard or I'm just doing it for show but everything she hates is just what makes me happy. I don't see how sending her kids off to watch tv alone makes her superior to people who want to be more involved.

@photojane: See... I see a difference with how my mom was and the culture today though. Yes, my mom always decorated our rooms, and did fun stuff, and threw fun themed birthdays. I vividly remember my 6th birthday. We did a victorian tea party and she bought a bunch of old prom dresses from thrift stores and me and my friends played dress up and decorated big straw sunhats. My cake was a teapot and cups that she made herself. She always made us really awesome Halloween costumes... she was awesome.

However, that's my mom. That's just what she loves to do. I love to do it too, probably because that's how she was. She didn't do it because some women on pinterest or on a forum made her feel like she should. I feel like that's the difference. She did it because she loves to do it. If the internet had existed when I was a kid, I doubt she would have bothered to blog about it.

I agree with this article in that killing yourself to reach some imaginary height of being the "perfect pinterest mom" is ridiculous. Who effing cares. I don't agree that you shouldn't "make magic" if that's what you love to do. I think this article is just another example of "I think this about x parenting issue and Im going to make you feel inferior for not agreeing". Bah. It's all crap.

I, for one, love crafts, DIY, holidays, big birthday parties, decorating, etc.

@loveisstrange: Do you know people that you think do pinterest-y stuff for the sake of showing off on the internet?

I guess I feel like people say that all the time and I just don't know anyone like that. The people I know who are "pinterest-y" are just crafty people who would be crafty anyways. Then I know people who could't care less and that's fine too. I think the difference with pinterest is that it gives inspiration if you're inclined to do stuff anyways. Or maybe helps people who want to be crafty but need more instruction. I just haven't seen in real life this much-maligned woman who is so very concerned with crafting for the sake of impressing her Facebook friends.

@Mae: Honestly, yes. I do. I know someone who sticks out as a prime example of it. She does it to get a pat on the back.

I felt the author brought out some good points in her writing but the tone was on the negative side and she sounds really stressed out. She mentioned that arts and crafts were things that can be done at school. This is not true anymore. So many things have changed since our childhood. Music and art classes are being removed from the curriculum across the country, even physical education classes are being reduced due to budget cuts. Recess is also being removed. The fact is times have changed. We now live in a digital world and our little ones will be affected more than ever. For some the only arts and crafts exposure they will get will be from family outside of school hours.

If you knew you had only 1 year left to be with your family what would you do, how would you do things differently? I would want to make every single day count, make it as beautiful and as special as I can, live in harmony, peace, and purpose with my family, and of course I would take tons and tons of pictures! Knowing that your days are limited, all the ordinary things suddenly seem extraordinary. What would seem like so much trouble to make happen, really is no big deal at all. When we're gone, we will leave behind the memories for our friends and family. What's magical and fun for me will not bring the same amount of joy to other families.

Even a simple picnic in the park can be filled with lots of love and laughter, that's what makes it magical, is our approach and attitude. If planning elaborate themed parties brings about a lot of stress and worry for you, takes you to a negative place, then that's a good indicator to not stress yourself out about it. If arts and crafts seem really troublesome, then avoid it. However, if Pinterest worthy parties and decor brings out a lot of joy and happiness for me without breaking the bank, then I would go all out for it. There is no guarantee that each and every one of us will be here tomorrow so you just gotta do what works for your family unit.

I didn't agree with her closing statement either, "We constantly hear that children these days don't get enough exercise. Perhaps the most underused of all of their muscles is the imagination, as we seek desperately to find a recipe for something that already exists." This last sentence was very insincere. Child obesity is a severe problem this country is facing and so many factors are involved: lack of exercise, reducing P.E. classes, electronic gadget dependency, and lack of healthy food choices in schools are some reasons that come to mind. It's no joking matter.

“Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you'll be criticized anyway. You'll be damned if you do and damned if you don't.”
- Eleanor Roosevelt
(American United Nations Diplomat, Humanitarian and First Lady (1933-45), wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, 32nd US president. 1884-1962)

Oh gosh....sorry for the novel!