What is with kids these days that they can't play without having a gameboy/ds/video game/computer in their hands? And don't forget the TV!! Good grief.
My son is contantly asking to go on the computer or to play his nintendo DS...aren't I lucky that he ASKS first? haha. My other son and daughter want to watch the boob tube...just zone out. So, since we've returned from our trip, no tv, no DS, no computer...especially when they have friends over to play. Boys will just hang on the other kid's shoulder who is playing one of these mindless games. It is nerve wrecking!! So I say no, no, no, no. (Okay, don't worry, they have played a little from time to time.)
Seriously, this summer, I have had to teach my kids how to PLAY! It started at the end of the school celebration. I was C's room mother and had to plan these celebrations (can't call them parties). So for the end of the year, I figured, let's have some outside fun...it was the middle of June after all. I ended up teaching the kids to play game like Red Rover...and other playground group games. The kids really enjoyed it. No tv, no cords, no batteries. I asked some of the volunteers to bring sidewalk chalk and bubbles...and I had taught the kids how to play hopscotch!
The other day, R* came over to play with C* and of course..."Mom, can we have popsicles?" The other question that hounds me every day. I say, "No, you go play for a while, run around, get thirsty, get a drink of water AND THEN you can have a popsicle." We were all out front where we have a neglected basketball hoop. So, I started the 2 boys on a basketball clinic of sorts. They had to shoot and keep shooting baskets. My DD kept score on her clipboard. I, who am not the athletic type, showed them how to make different kinds of shots. The Granny Shot worked well for R* who is on the shorter side of life. And C* did well with the free throw sort of shot. (Not sure if that's the name.) After that they did have a popsicle. Then we went on to dribbling...up and down. Life your head, put your other hand behind your back. Slow, fast...lift your head. R* really excelled at keeping his head up. We were just starting the passing part of the "clinic" when R*'s Dad arrived to pick him up. I actually saw C* start sweating! Hurray!
Then, the next day, R* came over...I sent them out to play basketball...and they could do it! Yippee! Now...let's hope that on the 3rd time, they go out by themselves to play basketball...without asking for popsicles, without asking to play the video games or the computer...
That would be one fine summer day!
3 comments:
Dawn, we are very lucky to have three houses in a row with kids pretty much the same age. They would play outside after dark if we would let them. We are the exception to the rule, though! We hardly ever see kids anywhere else in our neighborhood outside playing! Sad isn't it?
YAHOO Oh Thank you so Much girlie .. you did it .. whatever you did it works GREAT!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart ..
xoxox
Dawn
I am SOOOO with you in your struggle to keep my son--almost 13--from spending every waking moment "plugged in" to something. We've had time limits for years, but something that worked well for me and stopped the nagging was when we started equating piano practicing time and book reading minutes to allotted computer time. 30 min. practice/reading=30 min. computer time. Feel free to modify any way you choose, but this has helped me keep my sanity.
Thanks for nominating me!
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