Parenting Fail
On Friday, Chris came home early from work so that we could take the kids up to see the Easter Bunny. I had Bean and Gracie all clean and cute and we were ready to get our bunny on.
The mall that we went to is known for their Santa and Easter Bunny visits. They really go all out to make the experience over the top for the kids. I hadn’t seen it in person before, so I was really impressed with their Easter decorations and the bunny area. It was beautiful! Like it came right out of a book.
Bean thought it was magical! He kept touching all the flowers and Easter eggs and bunnies hidden along the path where the line formed.
Gracie was unimpressed, though. Where were the overflowing bottles of formula and clean diapers? This place had nothing to offer her.
The only problem with this bunny adventure? The line was incredibly long. So, so, so long. We waited at the end of it for 25 minutes and I don’t think we moved 2 feet. And we still had a huge line in front of us!
“Well, this is horrible,” Chris complained. “All these kids are annoying.”
“Yeah,” I agreed.
And then we both stood there waiting for the other person to say what neither of us wanted to be the first to say.
“You know,” I said. “I never had Easter Bunny pictures taken when I was a kid and I wasn’t emotionally scarred.”
“I never had them taken either and I’m fine.”
“Sooo…” I said.
“Sooo…”
“So, let’s ditch this bunny stand.”
“I’m right behind you!”
That’s right. We left the bunny line. We did it. We just walk out of line. I could feel the eyes of parents ahead of us who had been waiting for 30, 45 minutes, an hour? They were judging us because we weren’t strong enough for the sake of our children. We weren’t sacrificing our time for pictures with a giant rabbit. We were QUITTERS.
But.
I also so the envy in their eyes, too.
“Take me with you!” their eyes pleaded.
Bean didn’t seem to care that we left. He didn’t like standing in line anyways and I think he liked the bunny better from afar. So, we took him around to where the bunny was sitting and we said bye bye to the Easter Bunny.
Then, we did the despicable. We stood outside the bunny’s fenced in spring paradise and we took each others pictures with the bunny in the background.
Happy Easter, Bean.
Love,
Your Slacker Parents
39 Comments
Jamie
No judgement here. That’s exactly how I would have handled that situation.
Nate's Mom @ NateIsGreat
That’s not parenting fail – that’s parenting brilliance! Way to go, Katie and Chris!!! 🙂
Abby @ They Lend Me Their Hearts
Not a parenting fail at all. Bean likely would have been scared of the bunny up close. You may have just saved him from trama!
Liss
I don’t know… I think not making the family wait in line for hours for a photo is fantastic parenting. Win!
Tara@ Thats a Wrap
OK I love this! I think the Easter bunny looks scary and until I saw a picture of a friend who went to the bunny you saw, from afar, I was not interested at all in getting my sons picture taken with him. I did get photos with a real bunny during a 6 month photo shoot and then didn’t even order them. I will gladly step into the line to the left under the slacker parents sign! So glad to know I wont be standing alone.
Kim
You did the right thing. 90% of the time after you wait in line, your child screams when the Easter Bunny / Santa tries to hold them for a pic anyway. 🙂
Chloe
I think that was the best decision you could ever have made!
Christy
Blasphemous. A giant bunny will haunt your dreams..
I can’t believe I actually thought some oversized bunny left candy at my house. Scary.
Kirsten
I don’t think I’ve ever taken my son to see the Easter Bunny. He’s 7. He appears to be just fine!
Andrea
I took my 4 year old to the exact same mall in Orlando because the Easter Bunny there is SO much better than any one I’ve seen. We waited about 15 minutes (during the week) and he screamed and was petrified! At least Bean looks like he was having fun!
Kara
There is nothing wrong with that AT ALL! You can do amazing things with photoshop these days:)
Lori @ I Can Grow People
We have yet to take P-Bo to see EB. Santa wasn’t really a hit in December and we just figure we will wait until he understands more about what the Easter Bunny is about. You aren’t Slacker Parents by any means–time is precious, especially with a newborn!
Marie @ It's a Kind of Normal
Hey, growing up we didn’t have the Easter Bunny, it’s still not a big thing in Ireland at all, and I survived ok 🙂 It’s the chocolate eggs that are the most important thing, whether they come from a bunny or from family & friends!
Tressa
That first picture of Bean man, ADORABLE! His blue shirt and his blue eyes….oh my!! I think you made the right decision. Better taking the “slacker parents”exit line, then getting Bean man up there after waiting for hour (s) and him being scared. I would have taken the same exit 😉
Alaina
I would have been right there with you…those things are totally overrated and I hate waiting in crowds like that…
Jen at Cabin fever
I don’t blame you at all! And Chris probably would’ve been crankier than Bean by the time you reached the Bunny if you didn’t book it out of there. I think I have an Easter Bunny photo… my mom said she took us to see him at the local VFW. It was free. Maybe next year you can find something like that as an alternative next year!
Cabin Fever in Vermont
Waiting for Bulgaria
You are my heroes. We didn’t even bother to get in line at our mall. Even though the line was only 3 people deep. We just waved from afar. And the bunny waved back, and my son was perfectly happy.
Julie
Good for you! I grew up with the Easter Bunny and my husband did not. After seeing him at the mall the other day from a distance, I told my husband that he looked creepy. How was I not afraid as a child? those pictures will come if you want them to later in life. Right now, it is called, staying sane with two under two!
Kelly H.
I would have never gotten in that line. Only Sydney would have sat with him anyway. Nick wouldn’t go near him.
momiss
I am so very proud of you. BLAZE NEW TRAILS. BE LEADERS!!!
I SO cannot wait to see if you take on the whole “our kids cannot practice or play a game without snacks and drinks every single time” scenario. Those were the most frustrating years for me as a parent. Thank God they are over now.
Mindee@ourfrontdoor
Good call. We don’t even do the Easter Bunny. We just hide the eggs, hand the kids a basket and call it good. If they’re scarred, it doesn’t show yet. And if they are . . . well I’d like to think they’re going to get their money’s worth when they’re in therapy later!
Kristin
HAHAH! That is AWESOME.
Mariposa
I would have done the same thing! 🙂
Lindsay (Young Married Mom)
Ha ha! We didn’t do the bunny thing or the Santa thing, and I think our little one’s going to turn out just fine, too. Especially considering my first picture with the Easter bunny is me absolutely wailing to be let go.
Michelle
You know, I think people place way too much importance on the Santa and Easter Bunny pictures and many times the amount of effort you go through just to get them is not worth the resulting pictures! You get odd looking Easter Bunnies at times (check out the “Sketchy Bunny” website for hilarious albeit traumatizing pics of Easter Bunnies of holidays past) that the kids are normally scared of, or indifferent and understandably cranky Santas who smell of B.O. and pee.
It always comes off as over-commercialized and I don’t know that the pictures have the same appeal to today’s generation of parents as it seemed to for my parents.
I just realized that neither my brother-in-law or sister-in-law’s families do the Santa/Easter Bunny pics and none of us have ever noticed or asked about them.
Good for you, though- sorry you wasted the effort getting dressed up and waiting, but I’m glad you left and spent the time doing something that was probably more worthwhile!
Ashley @ A Recipe for Sanity
Oh my goodness…I love it. I don’t blame you! I live in Orlando too and it gets NUTS in that mall around the holidays! Better to leave the line now, while neither one of the kids really minds. 😉
Sarah S
We never get the mall pictures anymore. Lines are too long, Santa and the EAster bunny are kind of creepy and as they get older you have to explain that those are not the REAL santa or Easter bunny and I think it kind of takes away from the magic of them. I always look at those parents forcing their kids to wait in line for an hour and wonder what the heck they are thinking. To each their own however! : ) My daughter is 6 and has never seen the Easter bunny at the mall, hates the mall Santas and still wholeheartedly believes in the magic of them both.
Rebecca
If I was a bettin’ woman I would put money on the fact that you guys probably had a MUCH better afternoon than the people in the line. And I completely agree, I never had pictures with the Easter Bunny or Santa and I don’t feel like I missed out
Cindy In Owensboro, KY
I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t have waited even as long as you did because Riley (who is 2 years old) is deathly afraid of Santa, the Easter bunny, etc. We took her to see the one at Bass Pro Shop in Spanish Fort, Al because we were on vacation and happened to be there but we didn’t wait that long. She screamed and cried and carried on, luckily they give you the picture for free there because I wouldn’t want to pay for that one!
Betty
Ha! Before I even read your post, I saw the Easter bunny and thought “Yeah, we are so not going to do that with Levi.” So glad we aren’t the only ones!!!
Pam
You can remove those strap covers and wash them on Gracie’s carseat.
Barbara Manatee
My kids would be happier with your plan! All 3 of mine are terrified of the Easter Bunny! We went to a couple parties/egg hunts where EB made an appearance and they were freaking out – even my two 4 year olds. They had NO desire to get anywhere near the big rodent! ha!
*******
April is Autism Awareness Month. I’m dedicating my blog all month long to Autism.
Jen @ Caved In
Honestly, Easter Bunnies creep me out. Its the not knowing who’s under that mask. Kind of like clowns. I’m weird, yes, thank you. Oddly enough I’m good with Santa. Bean SAW the Easter Bunny so doesn’t that count for anything? Yes, yes it does.
Alyson @EisleyRaeClothing
I do not blame you one bit! We haven’t done Easter bunny pics in a couple of years. Pretty sure our youngest hasn’t had a pic w/him ever. It just doesn’t seem to be the same as it was when we were young. The kids both look so cute all dressed up though!
Nikki
I’m pretty sure Bean is pretty thankful that you didn’t get up close and personal with the Bunny. My parents still put out a picture during Christmas of me sitting on Santa lap kicking and screaming. From over 23 years ago… They enjoy that little bit of trauma in my life way too much.
Kat @ Living Like the Kings
I think this post should be called “Parenting Win.” I bet Bean and Gracie appreciate leaving even more than you did.
Amy L Butler
Hilarouis! I’m right there with you!
Sarah
so sounds like something i would do, the only bunny pic i have from childhood, i look so depressed lol. you made the right choice!
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