Things Only A Central Maine Parent Would Understand

From the moment my first child was placed upon my chest, I knew little ol’ Maine was where we would raise her and our future children. I was raised here and so was my husband.  We both wanted the small-town life mixed with a little city charm, so to us, Central Maine was a no-brainer.

But, there are some unique challenges to raising a child in Central Maine.

1 - Potty Training

Being a parent in general you learn really quickly things don’t always go as planned, but potty training really doesn’t. Multiple trips back and forth to the bathroom every 15 minutes or so is a challenge all in its own. Now add small town, back road living to the mix. Oh, the memories. Ha-ha. There are more dirt roads that second as a potty than there are actual public restrooms. I know I’m not the only one who has drive thru napkins stockpiled in my glove box, that have saved the day on more occasions than one.

2 - Winter Weather And School

Central Maine parents have a full understanding Just how much winter weather comes to play into everyday life. Our phones are ringing off the hook by 4:30 am, to let us know if it’s a snow day or just a 2-hour delay. While kids suit up to play outside, parents suit up for work.  As much as myself and other parents would rather be outside throwing snowballs and making snow people, instead we are cleaning off our cars and calling around for a sitter.  A little snow never hurt anyone and it surly doesn’t stop us from doing our jobs, it may just take us a little longer to get there.

3 - Field Trips

When school sends home a field trip permission slip, local parents can often guess and know it’s going to be one of 3 places. The destination often depends on the grade their child is in.  It's either Old Fort Western, The Maine State Museum, or Maine Wild life Park.  From the history of our capitol to the wildlife in Grey. Although these sites are predictable, and I know this first hand being a repeat chaperone, the kids are always excited to learn something new.

4 - Local School Rivalries

They also understand just how important the Cony Rams vs Gardiner Tigers rivalry is, many have even played in a rival game themselves. Fall Friday nights are spent in your favorite team gear, cheering on your team. I’ve seen this long-standing rivalry break up first dates and even families, so much that I mostly just refer to the teams as the Capulet's and Montague's.  Young or old age doesn’t matter or even if your children still attend school, all are welcome to join in on the rivalry... GO RAMS!

5 - Things Are REALLY Far Apart

Every Central Maine parent would understand just how frustrating it is to constantly hear their child say “I’m so bored” or “there’s nothing to do”.  My first reply is always, “go be bored outside” but if I really think about it, they aren’t wrong. Walking to their friends’ houses or even the park isn’t always an option. We live in the capital of our state and still it takes a good 20-minute drive to get anywhere. Central Maine is gorgeous and all these things are what we love about it, but man I didn’t know I could eventually add taxi driver to my resume, just by running kids around. Ha-ha

What would you add to this list?  Send us a message through our app or on Facebook