Let Them Use Their Imagination

The Christmas season has delivered many hi-tech items to my children’s doorstep... as many parents can relate to.

I have been limiting the amount of time my children spend using them for several reasons. I feel that technology can easily distract and wind them up, I prefer not to allow them to play on computers, wii’s, etc. until the weekend. I also don't want it to interfere with the quiet, successful routine of homework, early bedtimes and family conversation we have on school nights.

It’s been hard for them, they are just dying to use this stuff, but they’re surviving. This weekend my fiancé noticed something which confirmed this.

He doesn’t have children of his own, but has done an incredible job of adapting to the role of step-dad. He has a knack for parenting (obviously or else I wouldn’t be with him) and he’s really pretty good at knowing what to do or say at the precise time. And because he seems like such a natural, I forget that he hasn’t experienced the kids do some of the things they do.

For instance, at Christmas we bought the kids a few games etc. and we bought my son a Lego set. It wasn’t really cheap, but we carefully shopped for the right set and my son loves it.

On Friday, I received a few packages from a friend. The packages were in large boxes and I finally opened them yesterday. So my two younger kids, ages 9 and 6, asked me to cut holes in the boxes so they could play with them.

I was busy at that moment and had my older daughter do the cutting. The boxes were cleverly cut with arms and bottoms cut out for their legs to go through.

Instantly, I had two whizzing jets, then two spaceships, and by the time my fiancé came home from work, he ran into two transformers.

At the end of the night, he mentioned how it was a pleasure (and a surprise) to come home to two giddy children zooming around the house as these things.

Today, the children are using the cardboard boxes again, and again, and AGAIN.

As they went flying by us once again, this time as cars, he looked at me, chuckled, shook his head and said, ‘A hundred bucks for Legos, several computer games, and they’re playing with cardboard boxes and it’d keeping them occupied for days, I don’t get it’.

I burst out laughing! I was used to this type of thing and had been really ecstatic for the cardboard boxes to come. I knew what the kids would do with them. But, I’d forgotten that my fiancé had no idea that a cardboard box could keep a kid occupied for so long!

It was a very humorous moment. I love watching him see things as a parent for the first time. It makes me smile, and at the same time, I am assured in my conclusion that my kids do not need to sit in front of a video game all day.

Remember the days when we, and the generations before us didn't have this stuff? We survivied anjd so did they....we just used our imagination.

Truly,

Amber

Back to School Anxiety: Bullying

Download “School Boy Being Stressed” by David Castillo Dominici via freedigitalphotos.net I recently wrote about how to help your child if they’re struggling with going back to school because they were bullied. My biggest most important tip was to listen, because I honestly could not write a ‘How-to-make-them-not-afraid’ column. Frankly I thought that was absurd. Fear is sometimes real. Anxiety is sometimes truly there, and for a good reason. Our job as parents isn’t to try to make it go away, it’s to try to find out the true source of those worrisome feelings. If you’d like to read more, click here. And if you’re child is struggling to find excitement about the new school year, don’t deny it, just accept it and move forward gently. Here’s some more on bullying: Family Matters Links: A Touching Story/Song Bullying: A thing of the past A Peace Poem By My Teenage Daughter A Deeper Insight into My Thoughts on People Who Bring Harm to Others Other Links: Stop Bul

Green Punch Buggy....!!!!

Green Punch Buggy...No Punch Back! As I was writing this blog post, my son came to me showing off his Lego creation. And don't you know I got hit at least five times since on my computer screen was displaying at least five different punch buggies, of five different colors thanks to Google Images. (Bad timing I'm thinking...) How can we possibly have world peace with these silly cars in the world!? ;) Don't the owners of these cute-but-obnoxious-cars understand that driving these things around town promotes violence!? ;) Anyhow.... The original purpose of this blog was to ask parents everywhere this question: Do you find yourself saying 'PUNCH BUGGY *BLANK-COLOR*! ' to yourself, even when the kids are not in the car??? I do! Isn't it funny how those games we used to play as a child are still around? I bet our parents say the same thing.... HAPPY FRIIIIIIDAAAAYYYY! P.S. I got hit at least ten more times, since as my son stood beside

Good Customer Service At Home

Over the years, my careers have mainly been customer service based. I started in a family business and then moved on up through the rungs from waitress, to hostess, to sales associate, manager and eventually the GM of a hotel. In all my years, my training taught me that you should always do your best to take your customer all the way to what they need, make them happy, and never leave them until they are done with you. I pride myself on my customer service abilities. Though the other day, I think I failed at customer service in my own home! I was getting ready to cut my daughter's hair and because of how long it had gotten (she's been growing it out for a year!) I felt this time it would be best if instead of me spritzing it with water, she could wash and condition it real quick. She was fully clothed so I just suggested she run into the bathroom and wash her hair in the tub. She’s fourteen. I suppose I just assumed that she knew how to kneel over the tub and do it.

Search This Blog