Life with young children makes an otherwise sane human being accept certain things as “normal” that the rest of the world views as “odd.”
Like buying pants for your child specifically because they have extra pockets to hold all the treasures he’s always finding.
Or walking through the aisles of the grocery store accompanied by children dressed in Halloween costumes. In April.
And, finally, going to the pool (and the beach, and the boardwalk) for an entire summer with children who insist on wearing rain boots.
One gets many strange looks from other adults when one is spotted calmly escorting their rain-boot-clad child in cloudless, 90-degree weather. To the pool. These looks are usually followed with a laugh and an understanding nod, as if to say “ah, I see you chose not to battle over the choice of footwear this morning.”
Half of parenthood – motherhood, especially – is about knowing when to let go. Yes, my child’s pants are laden with little toy cars, rocks, leaves, and a random plastic barrette of dubious origin. Yes, my child wore a full-body dinosaur costume to Acme last week. And yes, my child will probably once again insist on wearing rain boots to the pool this summer. He’s not screaming, crying, or having a temper tantrum, is he? No? Then it’s all good.
Parenthood is about learning to let go and realize what our children have know all along: rain boots aren’t just for rainy days.