I tell anyone who will listen that one of my greatest wins with young children has been rebranding spiders (and all bugs, for that matter). While it has made parenting marginally less stressful, it’s also helped me get over my own arachnophobia. Many of you reading are probably thinking… “Why bother? Just squish ‘em and move on.” While I don’t totally disagree with you, I have found it to be a worthwhile experiment over the past year or two. It’s also opened my eyes to a whole world of misunderstood creatures.
There’s nothing quite like hearing a blood curdling scream from across the house only to find that your 3 year-old has spotted a daddy long legs. I get it. I really do. But mama’s cortisol can only spike so many times in a day and I desperately needed the bug catastrophes to be farther and fewer between. Not to mention, I’ve become infatuated with gardening/landscaping recently and needed a way to make creepy crawly encounters less jarring.
Enter “Lucas the Spider” – arguably one of the cutest kids shows I’ve seen to date, and “Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be A Kitten” – a favorite in our bedtime reading rotation. Both feature jumping spiders in adorable, educational, and entertaining storylines. If you have small children in your life, I highly recommend both!
Jumping spiders are often said to be the puppies of the spider world. They’re curious about us, harmless to humans, and some scientists think they can recognize and remember people. Knowing this, I encouraged my kids to take a slightly closer look at the one on our swingset last fall (affectionately named “Jumpy”) – he was indeed kind of cute. Since then, my kids have found and named Jumpy’s Dad, Hot Sauce, and Tigger. No drama, only wonder and awe. MAJOR parenting win.
Orb weavers, on the other hand, are way less approachable but no less intriguing. A friend once compared them to ‘hardworking, crafty, DIY queens’ (her words, not mine) – as an art major, this one spoke to me. They build beautiful webs in a matter of hours…over and over again. They eat the bugs we don’t like, and they generally try to stay out of our way. Some cultures even believe them akin to a goddess, while others say that saving one will grant you a wish or good fortune. “If you wish to live and thrive, let the spider run alive.”
I’m not saying rebranding spiders will change your life, but I am saying that spinning scary, tedious, or boring things into positives can bring greater peace of mind and a better outlook on the necessary tasks that come with adulting. Is that a horrifying spider on the back deck, or is it just a little helper taking care of the mosquitos and other pests? Mountain of dirty dishes and laundry… Or is it a perfect chance to catch up on your audio book? It doesn’t make it fun, per say, but it does lessen the sting.
I don’t mind seeing spiders now (as long as they don’t touch me), in fact, I’ve even come to terms with the little snake who inhabits our back garden bed. They both do their jobs exceedingly well, and we’ve found a peace treaty of sorts. They help me and our little backyard ecosystem, and I help them by gently ushering them to a safer, less intrusive place to live. Win win.
If you liked reading this, you may also appreciate these favorite reads (for grownups, not kids) during your next beach vacation. Both books have me a fresh outlook on the natural world and our place in it:
• Soul of An Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Fun fact: this features the New England Aquarium!)
• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
