Every time I take my boys swimming at our gym I am faced with a decision.
Should I get my hair wet?
That decision alone determines how involved my level of play will be with my boys.
If I am willing to get my hair wet, I am totally submerged in their play.
I will go down water slides, play tag in the lazy river and shoot hoops with them. ……But if I’m not in the mood to get my hair wet, it means I will tiptoe through the water observing them playing from afar.
Why do moms at some point choose to sit on the sidelines and read a book or play from afar?
I say it’s because it’s a pain!!! Because we are tired. Because we need a few moments to relax.
When my boys were little, they were CRAZY in the family locker room.
They were constantly fighting, setting off the automatic toilet and soap dispenser, singing at the top of their lungs, dropping their clothes on puddles of water and overall making me wish they were old enough to go in the men’s locker room by themselves.
Getting my hair wet meant a longer time in that chamber of chaos.
Getting my hair wet means more work on my end.
I am guaranteed to look like a crazy raccoon no matter how hard I try to get my mascara off.
My hair takes FOREVER to dry. If I get my hair wet, I have to choose between staying in the locker room an extra 20 minutes to blow dry it or I’m freezing in the parking lot with a wet head when I leave.
I also say it’s because we need a break and want to disengage. I’m not saying it’s bad to take a break every now and then, but I think it’s very easy to begin viewing activities we could do with our kids as something we used to do when we or they were younger.
Now that my boys are older they are starting to spend most of their time playing with their friends at the pool. I do notice that when I choose to get my hair wet, they are still excited to play with me.
I have to make the decision every now and then to leave the comfort of my lounge chair to swim with them. It doesn’t happen every time we go, but I’m trying to consciously do it more often.
So next time you are at a pool, I encourage and challenge you to
Get Your Hair Wet!
Accept the challenge? I would love for you to share your water adventures using the hashtag #GetYourHairWet
Thanks for sharing Jessica! We all have those days where we just need the break but I’m glad that you were encouraged to get your hair wet sometime soon:)
I regrettably admit, this is me. My kids are ages 13-7 and I take them to the pool so they can play. With each other! But my youngest has began commenting, “You don’t ever get in!” Point taken. Thanks for calling yourself (and me!) out.
Your situation sounds totally understandable to not get in the water. I was sharing more from the perspective of someone like myself who can, but has to overcome the hassle of it vs. it being for safety purposes.
I love this post. This is me sometimes. I have a pool but I am not a fearless swimmer. I prefer to not get my hair wet but I love to have fun and do water slides and play in the water. Great reminder to sometimes get in all the way.
This isn’t entirely accurate. I wear a contact prescription of -5.5. I can barely see one foot in front of my face. So when I am not in the pool, it has nothing to do with vanity, fat, or wet hair. And everything to do with me being blind. If any thing happened to the other 3, I couldn’t help them.