The Po Show

My Children Don't Care About Leaves

I'm finally coming to terms with the fact that my kids don't give a crap about fall leaves changing. I go over the moon over all the reds and oranges and yellows BURSTING out of the trees like FIRE. Having grown up in CA, it's still such a shock and thrill to see the colors explode every fall.

I continuously go, "OH LOOK! Look at the beautiful leaves!" as we drive by. Tessa occasionally humors me and goes, "Ooooo, pretty!" in a distracted way. Matthew just ignores me.

A couple of years ago we drove up to Litchfield, CT, reported to have excellent leafing. We went too late in the season, though, and leaves were pretty much over up there. We stopped in the cute little town and had lunch, then drove home in a long and circuitous fashion. The kids were kind of annoyed by the time we got back.

Matthew looked at the brown, crunched up leaves molding on the lawn in the backyard and said disgustedly, "Look at all these leaves! Why did we have to go all the way over there?"

I keep talking about us going somewhere for the weekend to see leaves, and they are all, "Yeah, yeah, whatever." This is the last weekend before the season really peaks, and I don't think we're going. It's going to be cold, and they are so not into it, and I don't want to get all excited myself and then frustrated because they don't care. There are some "experiences" I do push on them, like visiting art museums, because I think they are wonderful opportunities that they will appreciate later in life, but making a fuss over colored leaves is not a battle I find worthwhile.

So I'll just look at the pretty maple leaves in my own neighborhood, and leave it at that.