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Thursday, August 21, 2008

A good mom

Yesterday we went to a birthday party at the local "playplace" in the mall. You know...one of those places that has slides, and tubes, and all kinds of foam things for your kids to climb through. For about $10 our kids got unlimited playtime in a huge maze of fun. Since our kids are older they played a rousing game of capture the flag in the huge structure. We told them to be careful of the little kids which ended up not being much of a problem. The place was so big that the little kids didn't even venture to the top. (I was always bothered by the big kids barreling over my little kids in places like that so I am pretty careful when we go to those sorts of places now that my kids are older.)

Anyway...so as the parents sat around the tables talking I noticed something interesting in the shoe cubbies.


See it?


Now do you see it?

Why is there a hairdryer just sitting on the shelf at the playplace? It seems oddly out of place. Or so I thought! After wondering about it for a few minutes a child exited the playplace. He was sweaty. That good, tired sweaty that you love for your kids to feel after playing hard. The kind that makes them nap hard. His mother sat him in that chair there by the hairdryer and proceeded to take off his sweaty shirt. She took a towel out of her bag and dried him off. Then she put a clean shirt on him. She changed his sweaty socks as well. Then she used the hair dryer to dry his sweaty hair. I was shocked. I guess I shouldn't have been, but I never would have even thought about doing any of that for my kids. I would have let them dry naturally. We witnessed several more kids being changed and dried off as we sat there.

Then when it was my kids' turn to leave the playplace I was a good mom and took my turn with the hairdryer.


I'm not sure how much cooler AG felt since there was no cool setting on the hairdryer.


And since I didn't even think to bring a change of clothes or a towel to dry her off with I used the hairdryer for that as well.

My other kids refused to be dried with the hairdryer. Once again I failed as a good Turkish mother. Oh well.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

That does see a tad silly.

Brittany said...

That is totally weird.

Sra said...

That's so funny! As for me, I'll get all sweaty riding my bike home from work and then I won't even shower the next day. Cause I'm gross like that.

Your Pal Pinki said...

That's funny. Weird. I never would have thought of that. Weird. : )

Anonymous said...

Oh good lord..

Anonymous said...

Ha. my first thought was "it's for nap time". that just tells you what the hairdryer is for in OUR house, doesn't it?
*sigh*

Lost In Splendor said...

Oh you, tauting around your sweaty American children. Have you no decency?

They will remember this in therapy I assure you.

"Then there was the time my mother had no change of clothing for me and mine were a bit sweaty."

I love it when you post some of the things that are different there though. Fascinating.

Anonymous said...

OH! I didn't realize you were in Turkey..hmm..okay so I'm just now getting the cultural oddities significance of the post. Sorry, over look me!

Natalie said...

memarie lane - i agree. doesn't really seem like it would do anything for a person. they do worry about being wet and getting sick here quite a bit so i'm sure that is why it is done.

brittany - very. at least ag was a good sport and played along. she said the hairdryer made her sweat more though. even it's cool setting was cold.

sra - there are times i do the same thing. not ride my bike home from work, but not shower after sweating. i do feel gross though if i don't. and if my hair gets wet then i have to shower. there is no fixing the frizz. i must start over!

pinki - it is strange. they worry about getting sick and think that being wet will contribute to it every time. there are quite a few things that you would find weird i think!

that girl - i know. it made me laugh for sure.

~m - how funny. whatever works!

sparkliesunshine - i know. no telling what will come out in therapy. no telling!

that girl - never...i could never overlook you. it is odd for sure.