“Mommy! Mommy! Come here.” My oldest daughter was summoning me into our living room. The morning news was on, with a commercial for a local amusement park. “Can we go there?” she asked. “Maybe,” I said. But what I really was thinking was, “I wish I could take you to Hershey Park or Six Flags Over Georgia.” You see, my childhood was rather unique; I grew up in five different states. Each childhood home brought new adventures and amazingly rich culture. But none of these places are in the Upper Midwest, so they are far from Rochester, Minnesota. As a mom, this is tough. Not only do I want to make memories for our children, but I want to share places where I made memories as a kid. It’s strange being in a new place, thousands of miles away from a childhood home. In parenting, so much of your kids’ experiences are shaped by similar experiences from childhood. Not raising kids in a place where I grew up has its challenges, but there is also a silver lining. Recognizing both is healthy, but staying positive about my current situation is tough. Honestly, I miss the places I grew up, and I sincerely want to share my previous homes with my children. However, it’s important to learn to love where God has put me. Here is a good summary of the experiences of raising kids in a home that’s not your own. I’m sure many other moms can relate.
Challenges & Differences
- Childhood memories. I can’t share all my childhood places with my kiddos. I can’t take them to the beach in Jacksonville for the afternoon or to Gettysburg for a day trip.
- Cultural differences. Every state has its own unique culture. While I love Minnesota Nice, I also crave for my kids to be in the south where hospitality and friendliness is a way of life.
- Food. My kids will probably have no clue what shoofly pie is, why southern pulled pork is the best barbeque, or get to regularly taste Chicago-style pizza.
- Weather. Bahhhh. I love Minnesota. It’s my home now. But, yikes-a-bee. It’s cold. Bone-chilling cold at times.
- Accents. My girls will say bag differently than I do, and they will probably call soda “pop.” They will have that quintessential Minnesota accent, which will be different than their mom’s.
Awesome Advantages
- New Adventures. The adventures we go on will be new for both me and my kiddos, I can learn with them. I am so excited about this.
- New Lessons. I gotta be honest. I know little about the founding of Minnesota. I’m actually thrilled to learn with them as they are taught the history of our state.
- Food. Who doesn’t like lefse?
- Weather. From ice-fishing to snowshoeing, there are so many winter activities I will get to enjoy with my kids. There is a hardiness about Minnesotans, because they not only survive the winter, they thrive. I will not allow them to be a winter wimp like me. 🙂
- Minnesota. I didn’t grow up here (though I did visit my family twice a year), but there are so many amazing things about Rochester and Minnesota. The area is beautiful, proximity to the Mississippi River and the lakes is amazing. Minnesotans love the outdoors, are incredibly kind people, and value honesty and hard work. I am pleased my children will grow up with these values.
I assure you, that if I were to move to any other state now, there would be a long list of things I missed in Minnesota. This beautiful state has so much to offer, but like many moms in my situation, sometimes I long to share the memories and lessons of my childhood with my own kids. In spite of this, I look forward to exploring this wonderful town and state with them and growing together through the lessons Minnesota has to offer.
