No More Plastic Cups

This summer I had lunch with some friends from high school and along with being a delightful way to spend an afternoon, I also became inspired. My friend, Molly, has three kids that are all out of the toddler phase, not in college and out of the house, but at the nice age of reason & understanding (ages 5-12, as I see it). She has done something that is truly genius. She has rid her house of all plastic cups. No sippy cups, no little plastic cups from restaurants, none of it...NO PLASTIC CUPS. She simply, and confidently, stated; "They are not babies. They can drink out of glasses like people." Why do I find this so brilliant? It is because each time I open one particular cupboard in my kitchen I am bombarded (and sometimes actually physically assaulted) by plastic cups. None, that I have actually purchased, just the crap from restaurants, ball games, and birthday party favors. Really, just a pile of rubbish. I too am at the stage where my kids are reasonable, and fully capable of handling glassware. I however am a chicken, and I fear that ridding the house of the plastic cups will somehow bring on a plague of clumsiness, and stitches from stepping on broken glass. However, I strive, by Molly's brave example, to have a more grown up house. There are some nice things around this place that have been cast aside and put in storage since kids came into the picture. It is time to un-baby proof the joint. I can have exposed electrical outlets now. I do not need cabinet locks, okay I never had them because I found them to be too difficult to operate. The old baby gates that are in storage need to just leave this house. I am going glass. That is right, no more unnecessary safety measures. We are living on the edge. I am reclaiming my former decorative style. No longer shall I look at objects of art as possible choking hazards. Thanks to Molly I know that I can start living an adult life again. Yes, I am still a parent with responsibilities to keep my kids safe, but now I am a parent of children that have the good sense to not eat, lick, or stick their fingers in everything they see. And drink out of glasses made of glass. That alone will make for a great week. Happy Monday!