the "fun mom"

At my mother's group this morning, we were talking about fun in the context of parenting, and it brought up the sense of guilt that always hangs out in the back of my mind.

I always thought I'd be the "fun mom". Down on the floor, pretending to be whatever, surrounded by kids, etc. Truth is, I kind of find playing with the kids boring. Frankly, I'm ashamed. Often when they ask me to do something, my first reaction is a variation on "Do I have to?" And that just isn't right! As a stay-at-home-mom, I should be enjoying the heck out of this stuff, not feeling like it's a chore.

This sense of guilt pops up every couple of months or so, and I worry until either I try some remedy (usually short-lived) or get distracted by ongoing life events. I continue to be hopeful that maybe as they get older, my interests and theirs will meld better. And I keep trying new ideas to work "playtime" into my psyche as a privilege.