A Time to say no...

 The other night at Ollie’s school they had an entrepreneurship evening where the kids were encouraged to draw up a business plan and sell some goods at school. Truth be told I think this is a very good thing to participate in but there are times when I have to just say no. No I can’t. No I don’t want to. No I don’t have the capacity. Just no.

This was one of those times. Life has been really busy – C Bear was slap bang in the middle of some sleep regression, work has been crazy busy (in a good way) and I just didn’t have the capacity to draw up a plan and then make something to sell then sit behind a table and sell it while Mike and I are running around after kids on school night evening. I had to say no. And the mom guilt is real... I was feeling it and to some degree I regret not pushing through to do it BUT also know that what my limitations are and I have to be ok with it. The worst part of it was I was worried that Ollie would feel left out... each child who participated got a certificate at school the days after and I had visions of my kid feeling left out while everyone else was called up for their certificate.

The school did however extend a certificate to children who didn’t sell a table but who came to support the other kids for which we did. .. We gave Ollie a certain amount of money to spend (for which he only spent half) and he went to support some of his friends who did have tables. So my boy got a certificate anyway and had fun doing it.

Having said that if he didn’t get a certificate he would have survived. He needs to learn this lesson himself that he cannot do everything all the time and that is ok. There is a time to say no and there is a time to push through and do when you are tired. Knowing the difference is key!

This particular lesson is one I tend to have to learn over and over again as I love being involved but there are times when I can and there are times when I cannot... and both are ok.