Have Fun with Your Children

Many people are too busy these days and don’t take the time to actually “be” with their children. Working, running from here to there, mobile and electronic devices on 24/7, our kids are over scheduled and families just plainly over busy.  I know that our family is busy too. We are building our own businesses, working, volunteering, social networking, and more. BUT….

I quit my full-time job a year and a half ago to work from home, be my own boss, and care for my 3-year-old. Now, my time is MY time and my family is the priority. It does take organization and proper planning, but I can pick my kids up from school each day. I can do their homework with them.  I schedule time into my busy schedule to play card and board games with my children several days a week. We read books, I to them and my 7-year-old to me.  We talk. We bake together. We paint, color, craft, cut, glue, and just be creative together. We take walks down the street and examine the leaves, the flowers, the trees, the berries, the architecture. We talk about birds, bugs, mushrooms, squirrels. We take hikes to nature parks and photograph flowers, animals, insects, foliage. We pick apples and pumpkins.

So what do my children learn from all of this?  They learn that family is important. The know they have parents who love them. From this they learn self-confidence, intelligence, organization skills, love. Far beyond this, they learn to be creative through art and how to use their imaginations. This leads to thinking outside of the box and problem solving in future careers. They learn math, reading, shapes, colors from playing card and board games. They learn that everything is not about winning.

What else?

They learn science from our outdoor excursions, they learn the color spectrum for their artistic pursuits. They learn history, engineering, and architecture from examining old neighborhoods. For the older kids, they can apply what they learn in school to the real world.  They learn math from calculating measurements in the kitchen as they bake with me. They see how the fruits of the earth feed us. They understand nutrition and fitness.

I know that education and learning far exceeds what they get during the school day and it is our responsibility as parents to encourage their growth and offer them continuous learning opportunities.

What will you do with your child today?

October 27, 2010 | Categories: Uncategorized | Tags: Art, baking, Board game, Child, children's board games, coloring books, Education, Family, family-fun, Games, history, Learning, math, nature, parents, photography, Playing card, quitting my job, school, science, social studies, stay-at-home mom, teaching, watercolors, working mom | Leave a comment