Guest blog on LubbockNeighbor.ning.com!
Do you ever notice how children can say the most amazing things? They see every detail in their life around them. They appreciate every moment. Today, my daughter Ryan (age 3) said to me, “Thank you mom for getting me a drink.” So sweet! So appreciative. Children will hug you and love you or distrust you and avoid you based on instinct. They are so emotionally perceptive to the world around them. We are always telling ourselves to “stop and smell the roses” and children do just that. It is beyond me how they decide on the treasures they will store up and I try not to let my biases influence how I respond to these treasures. Why in the world do you need to keep the cup that your cheese sticks from Sonic came in? Because I can use to as a cup holder or to store up rocks, or any other small things I find! (Evan, age 7) Why are your pockets filled with gravel? Because I was saving it to put in the fish tank! (Ryan, age 3) Why are you running off from me all the time? Because I want to explore my world! (Reagan, age 15 months. I just assumed this one!) Why do you need to mail that card to your friend when you will see her tomorrow at school? Because everyone loves to get mail! (Erin, age 5). Too true!
Ah, the sweetness of childhood. One of the gripes I have with the toys today is they do not encourage imagination. A Dora toy is always going to be Dora. Sure, you can pretend to go to the Highest Mountain and through the Gooey Geyser, but what are you creating on your own? Children can do the most amazing things with sticks, boxes, and tubes from a paper towel roll. They can create pirate ships, telescopes, rockets to the moon, forts and camps, and anything else that pops into their mind. They can expand their imaginations and through that they grow. Developmentally, play is key for children’s emotional, social, and intellectual growth. It is key for adults too! We all need to play more and it needs to be active play. I am not against television or video games by any means, but these are not active play. Too much of this passive play dulls the mind and inhibits creativity. Give a child paints and paper and random art supplies and see what they can do! Do not try to control the activity. When making a face, it is fine for the eyes to go on the chin or the nose to be higher than the ears! Just look at Van Gogh and Picasso!! Art and beauty are subjective.
I went to a training once on the importance of play for adults. It was fascinating and makes you realize how much we limit ourselves and our creativity. We get so busy and on the go, we forget to play. And I don’t mean play with your children or by going to the gym. I mean activities that are pure pleasure for you. It might be sports such as golf or baseball. It might be hobbies such as scrapbooking or photography. For some portion of your week, you should immerse yourself in play. Have you ever just let go to a song and danced wildly around your house? How releasing that can feel! It is the endorphins released in play. Trust me – it’s scientifically proven so give it a try!
Another area where my children amaze me is their connection to God. Erin sits in her bed at night singing praise songs to God. Ryan starts all of her prayers with, “God, I love you.” Tonight, Evan wrote a song all on his own. It starts with (spelling errors left in): All hail the Lorb for he has made me. And he loves me with all of his hart. So, I tell you the Lord loves you to and the Lord made you to and if you love the Lord he loves you. It goes on for many more lines and at the end, there is a box set aside where he wrote: One question, Do you love God – yes or no. Put a check in yore anser. Put a X in the anser you don’t want. It really is that simple. The simplicity and beauty of childhood. This week I want to stop and smell that sweet smell of childhood. They grow up so fast and while they are not missing a thing, I worry I will miss too much if I don’t slow down and watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment