It's never too late to have a happy childhood!
My most recent Thursday Thirteen post has been weighing on my heart. Not just the post itself, but the the whole reality that childhood is so much more "sterile" than it was just a generation ago. The freedom we experienced is gone, some of it robbed by the harm that sick individuals would wish to inflict on our children, some of it gone due to a shift in values (a very broad statement that covers many sad realities), some of it now simply buried as outdated and unfit for modern times. Still, I soooo wish my children could taste what they're missing.
So yesterday, I came up with just that; a way they could at least sample the freedom of discovery that I experienced in my own precious days of childhood. It's their world, after all. Their one chance to live out those fleeting moments in the midst of this season. And so here's what I did (keeping in mind that it was 93ยบ and humid here yesterday, but I'm happy to report that nobody melted away).
I gave them free reign to go and explore (I can't fathom that my words left a surprised look on their faces, but sadly it's true.) I slathered everyone down with 50 SPF sunscreen, loaded up the baby in the stroller and told them I only needed to be able to have them in "eye-shot" range. Liv ventured off on her bike, while the littles went on foot. They chose to head into the neighboring development where there is a tree lined roundabout.
They sat in the shade in that circle and watched ants, collected acorns, compared different leaf types, opened seeds, touched and talked about moss on the north side of the trees, read the street signs up close, etc. When they got hungry, they ate sandwiches and drank bottled water that I had packed for them in the shade of the roundabout. You'd have thought I took them on some majorly fun picnic.
They then chose to explore another cul-de-sac (we live on one) and smelled Morning Glory as they declared, "Hey Mom, the leaves look like hearts," felt the rough heads on cone flowers, blew on cottony dandelion seeds and watched them fly away, noticed that arrows spray painted on the curb point to the water manholes, took interest in someone's small landscape water fountain, explored the receding banks of our pond, etc. etc. etc.
Or,...
We could have sat inside all day.
And on a lesser note, 5 year old Reece just came in and asked, "Mom, if we eat too much cold cheese, we'll die, right?"
"Cold cheese" is any brick cheese to Reece, who greatly dislikes processed cheese slices and will only eat "cold cheese." Nothing like processing the concept of death by Gouda before you've had your second cup of morning coffee.
Proverbs 6:6
Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Toni
10 comments:
Good for you on the break-out plan. (And equally good on the 50 SPF!) :)
Thanks for the lovin' across the miles. Yep, we've moved to Qatar, and I'll try to keep up with the blog on it all. It's been CRAZY, but God has brought us here. :) Well, God and the State Department! Hah!
Oh we are on the same page. I had such grand plans this summer for trips to small towns around here to play out in the open, go to the river, run a lemonade stand, and catch butterflies, but with the 88 straight days of rain, little of it came to pass. Still, I may take them ROLLER skating next week.
What a cool day you all had!!
I hope he's wrong about the cheese...
:)
I'll be wondering for days where Reece got his idea about Death By Gouda. (...?...)
As for your launching the kids off for some freedom to explore, what a wonderful gift you gave them.
This is so true. You've really hit on something that I've thought about quite often. When I was a kid, it was common for me to get up on a summer morning (or afternoon--depending on how late I slept) and hop on the bike. Sure, I'd tell my mom that I was heading out, but I could end up at a number of different places. Actually, I could end up somewhere that I had never been before. I was pretty free to just go wherever I wanted to go and we EXPLORED everything.
It's not as common today. In fact, a lot of parents would frown on that sort of activity today. We worry so much about bad things happening to our kids (and we should in today's world) that we forget how important it is for them to experience the world on their own. There's a lot to be said about this and it's probably bigger than just letting the kids go out to play.
What a great idea! The next time my nephews and nieces are over I'm going to invite them to "explore." Recapturing the innocence of yesterday is something I wish for as well.
Sounds like a great time. One year we did nature notebooks and drew (or scribbled) what we observed.: ) It was fun and relaxing.
Great idea!
Oh Toni, I feel like this all the time. I want my kids to be kids...to have some freedom. I know it's harder today, but as you demonstrated, still possible. I remember going to the park one day and there was a large pond with trees around it. The kids wanted to go to the other side of the pond and look at the water from the railing-rimmed dock. I let them, even though they were on the other side of the pond, even though they were near water. I could see them, but they didn't know I was watching. I knew other people would frown upon my "leniency", but I think it's important for them to have times like those. That's neat the way you described them on the round-about.
Living where I do, I have felt pretty comfortable letting my kids roam freely around our neighborhood as long as they stick together. I think it is very important to let kids explore and live life hands on rather than read about it or watch it on tv.
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