I'm Just Not June Cleaver

If most of you didn't know, my son is the biggest video game junkie this side of the Nile River. "We" eat, sleep, breathe, dream, obsess over, converse about, and LIVE for video games. (note the "we", as in, I, as a dutiful parent, financially provide these things for him) Oh, how I've tried to get him interested in other things, baseball, football, his bike, ets. Nothing matters, other than those stupid games. And for the struggling ADHD/Autistic child, I am quite capable of imagining how they can be so much fun. Although, the only one I could really play with some effort, was Mario Kart.... all the others, make me dizzy, or were just plain dumb. But realistically, I think video games as a whole, are quite stupid. A wasted use of your brain. And when played day after day, hours at a time, I picture all of the brain cells, being killed off, just like in one of those games.So here's the problem: as he started the 4th grade, he started having some trouble with homework. 5 loooong hours, every night, and THAT was just for spelling!! Medication worn off, feelings on edge, it's a nightmare. One that, as stupid as this sounds, we encouraged. I want my son to eat... (he has several other health issues) we elected to not go with the time released medication, so it would wear off directly after school, then he'd have an appetite, and maybe gain a little weight! But you can only imagine, trying to get someone to sit and down and do homework, after the meds have worn off!So, in my great wisdom, (one of those revelation things again) I took ALL of his video games away from him... & I am talking ALL of them.... Nintendo Gamecube, all 3 gameboys, the Nintendo DS, Wii..........ALL OF IT! Even the television, gone, no more, outta there! Damnit to hell, we are GOING to get that homework done!!! (oh, what a wonderful and attentive mother I'm turning out to be!) From now on, we are gonna be the BEAVER family!!!!! Yes, as in Ward, June, Wally, and the Beave! We'll paint, have homeade ice cream, go for walks, read science books together, watch the history channel, etc...I was thinking, that 1- he would begin to do the homework, and 2- maybe his brain would slow down! and 3- it would make our "family unit" stronger, and more valuable. Although, I had a feeling that making homeade ice cream would take care of that part!!!Of course, that was 6 months ago, and I'm still waiting for it to happen like I thought it would! However, I didn't count on having to go through another deployment, either. Being a single parent will make you do crazy things, that sometimes, well, frankly, look plain idiotic! So now, 6 months after I turned myself into June Cleaver, wih the ole baby daddy laying on a tropical beach somewhere, I am left to my own defenses, with no spousal support to encourage me as I try to be the greatest parent on the face of the earth...So here I sit, on Saturday morning, waiting for the little boy to come crawling out of bed looking for me, wanting some "snuggles" as we call it over here, lazily making his way into my lap asking for the pancakes I promised him last night, and I begin to think about yesterday. Yesterday.... Yesterday, the day June Cleaver died....kind of makes me wanna drive my Chevy to the levy. The end of an era. The end of the world as we know it......You see, yesterday, in all my glory and infinite knowledge, I drove myself to the nearest ToysRus store. I was panicked. Oh, I had already decided to give my baby back the television & hook up the Gamecube, etc. But it just wasn't good enough. He needed more. He needed me. And he needed me to come through for him! He had been punished long enough! His words echoed in my ear. "Mommy, if you get me Pokemon Pearl and Pokemon Diamond, I will be good at Sissy's practice!" What had I been doing to this poor child?! I wasn't June Cleaver! I was me! just me........ And if my little boy wanted/needed new video games to keep him occupied while I drag him all over town, who was I to not give him what he needs! Isn't that illegal?But suddenly, I snap back to reality.... and of course, the reality came after I already had the 2 new games, PLUS a new DS Lite (because I felt so guilty!) sitting on the front seat of the car!! That little brat was only manipulating me! Pure, evil, 9 year old manipulation. And I bought it. Every pleading word........WAIT!!!!! I wanna be June again! I miss her! Where are you June? I need you! Come back to me! Give me the Cleaver wisdom again! I'm begging!!But she is gone. Gone for good. I don't know if I'll ever see her again....... How I must have let June down.God how I love the manipulation of children. Gives you a great feeling, to know that you can be bought, just like that.... but in the end, all the warm kisses, and sweet hugs, our "snuggles", and the 101 "I love yous" through the course of a day, make it every bit of it, completely, and utterly worth it. So go on perfect June, I don't need you any longer. In 5 minutes, my son will be up, laying on the couch with me, telling me ove an over how much he loves me...... then I'll make those dang home made pancakes, and they'll be better than yours, June. A lot better. And afterwards, my little manipulative angel, will venture off into his room to play his new games, and I'll be free to lay around and do nothing.... just how a Saturday morning should be!& I'll keep tellling myself that.... on Mondays, and Tuesdays, and Thursdays and Fridays...... every back handspring my daughter takes, every back tuck, every stunt. I'll just keep on saying it. Every out of town trip, those 7 hour car rides in the middle of nowhere, heading to some other city for another competition, I'll still be saying it. Not convincing, just reminding. And when we're at practice, and I glance over at my little boy, contently sitting quietly with his new games, I'll think about his innocent, child-like manipulation. And if won't even matter..... he's being quiet.and THAT, is what's most important, when your husband is laying on the beach, 1/2 way around the world......

So long, June Cleaver - I'm ELIZABETH and proud.