Are you kids having a fun or boring summer?
I have friends who DREAD summer. Personally, I think it’s because they feel they have to entertain their kids all day. (Often because the kids insist!) The kids are so used to being shuttled and scheduled they don't know how to entertain themselves.
That's another way I think my writing as REALLY benefited my family. Every afternoon, mommy would have "writing time." And the kids played. They colored, drew, played with Legos, dressed Barbies (or at least my daughter did), read books, etc. They were NEVER bored during their summers, they knew how to have fun. Of course, since they were homeschooled, for us this wasn’t just a summer thing.
Today my kids have GREAT imaginations. My oldest son is writing a novel. My youngest son gets about two requests a day for playdates. His friends' parents love having him over because he "entertains" their kids with his great imagination.
This week, my daughter is volunteering at VBS. Her job was to come up with snacks for the 6th grade. Do you think she went to the store and bought chips and cookies? No? She had these wonderful, creative snacks ... ideas that she found on-line.
In fact yesterday she made cupcakes, frosted them, and covered them with mini-marshmallows to look like popcorn. Then she wrapped them with red and white striped paper to look like popcorn bags. Man ... I should have taken a photo!
Anyway ... just a note to say don’t feel bad if you need time to follow your dreams. That solo play time WILL benefit your kids in the long wrong!
posted by Tricia Goyer @ 9:23 AM
3 Comments:
your dd is so clever! She must get that from her mama. ;-)
My kids are only almost 1 and almost 3, so it's never boring around here. Really.
You'd be amazed the games we can play with some empty plastic containers, pompons and a flyswatter (clean).
I have one child who participates in swim team, so part of his day is spent practicing. The other two have all kinds of ideas on what is "fun." My daughter likes to draw and the younger likes to dig (unfortunately not where we would like him to dig). While I am working, they are home with Dad, using their creative minds. In the evenings, when Dad is at work, we like to sit and watch a little TV, play in the pool, go to the park and spend good quality time together. They allow me my "writing time" while they go play with the neighborhood kids or dig up our yard. :)
This is so true, Tricia, I can 100% relate. My oldest is 9 and loves to cook, she's taken on so much of that for me, freeing me up to write. My girls are each other's best friends (we homeschool also) and play so well together. One of my favorite things is when we're all snuggled on the couch together reading our own books...
Like you, I do the writing time thing in the afternoon, and so far it's worked. I appreciate hearing from an older mom, or at least a mom with older kids :O), that it didn't take away but added to the depth of her children's creativity.
Great post!
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