No place like home…

So here’s the deal, when my children were young, I did all I could to keep them at home with me. Of course with the exception of grandparents – they rarely stayed away from home. Most people don’t realize that, not even the boys, but it’s true. If they played at someone’s house for a while, they usually returned home before bedtime… and usually with whoever they had been playing with, lol. When they were really young, they rarely even did that!!

As they got a little older they started going to friends homes to play more often. But seriously, there was only 1, maybe 2 homes that either of them were allowed to stay overnight at (and I stopped most of those early ones quickly). I tried very hard to be discreet about that – I always used some excuse about why it wasn’t a good night, etc., but that it would be fine for ‘said’ friend, or friends, to come to our house if they wanted.

Again, as they grew older still, I grew even more adamant about wanting them to be at home. There were exceptions of course; for example, I never flinched or even gave a second thought to Josh going to Sue’s to spend time with Chris. Or Bull going to Denise’s to spend time with Patrick. But other than the occasional sleepover with someone else, they were almost always at home. And almost always I had a house full of additional kids :)

Once these kids started getting old enough to drive, I can’t tell you how many times I went to bed with maybe 2 or 3 ‘extra’ kids here and woke up with 5 or 6. Sometimes more – especially after Friday night football games!! I’ve literally had to step over them in the floor :) And I loved every minute of it!! Because as long as they were at my house, I knew where they were, who they were with, what they were doing, etc. etc.

The outcome: two wonderful young men who are now home-bodies that love spending time with their families… at home!! Also… my house is still the gathering place - very often most of these same kids – plus some – still flock to my house (now with their families), to watch the game(s), to BBQ, to play poker, or just to visit and hang out.

I used to be ridiculed by some for being that way, and I sometimes questioned if I was doing the right thing (I was young). But I’m glad I stuck to my convictions – in looking back, I think that may be one of the things I did right with my boys :)