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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Kids these day, or is it Parents these days....

I am sitting here trying to figure out my daughters summer schedule, wait schedule? She's 2. I promised myself i would never be that mom, and i refuse to be. I was looking into camp this year but all i could think about was the counselors and how there is no way i am leaving my two year old (along with 10 other two year olds) with a high school kid (i use to be that counselor, NO WAY). I'm totally sending my kids to camp when they get older, but come on 2??? What ever happened to parents playing with their kids and socilizing them? Why do we have to spend thousands of dollars on "activities" i mean do you actually think that what these "instructors"are doing is any different then what you can do yourself? i think it is more for us moms then the kids anyways. You could stick them in the playroom with paper and markers and they would have a blast. I have been caught up in this awful cycle of throwing my kids into multiple activities. It's like the more money you throw at it the better you feel or the smarter your kids will be or is really about making the day go by quicker? Doesn't make much sense to me.

I feel like i do it because i don't want them missing out on opportunities. I then slap myself in the face, and scream at myself THEY ARE ONLY 2! I am personally getting sick of people getting rich off of things i should be doing myself for my kids. Certain things like swimming lessons, seems appropriate at this age, since it's such an important skill to have if your children are around water. Mine happen to be around water all summer. We are in RI on the ocean for a few weeks every year and at the pool the rest of the time. Trust me i hate getting in that water on Saturday mornings and now we have two in swimming lessons, for me it's totally worth it.

We love gymnastics as well. Buffalo Grove Gymnastics has a wonderful program and they teach the kids how to follow directions and patience. I adore our teacher. So those two things are staying. We have a yearly pass to the local pool and the Kohl Children's Museum which we go to a lot. I never wanted to be the mom that had her kids in 17 different things. I think it's makes it difficult for kids to not have any creative unstructured time for themselves.

I just found another program for Olivia that is at our YMCA. It is two hours in the morning for 2 &3 Year olds once a week and it takes them from classroom to classroom teaching them, ABC & 123's, Cooking, Reading, and having lunch. It's so reasonable it you are a member. I am so excited for it. It will help get her ready for pre school this fall.

I remember as kids we had the biggest imaginations ever. We played outside until it got so dark out, then we would catch fireflies. It seems to me that kids now a days are attached to video games or there own iphones (i kind of threw up a little when i wrote that, it still makes me nauseous that kids have cell phones, not to mention the exact same one as me.) I see kids in restaurants playing on the phones instead of contributing to the conversation. I am totally getting off subject here, but geeze what is this world coming to?!?! They never have to use the creative sides of their brains anymore.

My kids don't have to be the smartest people in the class, but they will be the kindest and i hope they will be very well rounded people. I have to think that throwing them in an activity everyday isn't going to make them smarter, more athletic, more advanced or well adjusted. Being with them and teaching them by example on the other hand will.

10 comments:

  1. I agree--parents put the pressure on themselves. No toddler or preschooler needs more than a few hours of structured activity a week.

    However, there is also a lot to be said for socialization skills and learning to listen to another adult in charge that can only be learned in those activites. It's a huge advantage once preschool does start.

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  2. I totally agree! Its absolutely essential that they learn those skills, i just don't think they need to be signed up for so much structured time.

    I love that you do so many great arts and crafts with the boys. You so creative, it must show in there personalities:)

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  3. I'm happy to see a lot of professionals even coming out and saying, "enough is enough". And that it is actually more unhealthy for your kids to be going, going, going from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed. And that they actually need that down time that they are missing by being over-shceduled.
    I can see an activity here and an activity there. But where is the real family time if your kids are booked from noon until night every single day and you have games, etc... related to those activities every weekend?

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  4. Oh, and on the kids on phones in restaurants tuning out from conversation?
    One of my biggest pet peeves.
    The Teenager is required to put her phone away if we are in any social situation. And sometimes required to turn it off. There have been a few exceptions, but NEVER at a dinner table (home or out). I do NOT understand how parents can let that go on. I really don't. If she defied me on that one, the phone would be taken away. Oh, don't get me started on that. Hahahaha!

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  5. My 5 year old has so much energy and I currently have him in preschool twice a week, swimming class twice a week and now I am signing him up for a sports sampler 2 hours a week. I think it is especially important to those who are home full-time with their mom to get involved in activities outside the house... it will help them to be more independent, well-rounded and build their social skills. I do not believe that any parent can provide all the same opportunities kids get from being involved in activities.

    There is a world outside of the house and kids crave new experiences... just my opinion :-)

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  6. Oh i completely agree, they need to get out. 5 year olds and especially boys have so much energy! I only have toddlers so that is what my whole blog was referring to. I was just saying how frustrating it is that there seems to be absolutely no down time for these kids now a days. I have a 2 year old and 8 month old and they are home with me full time. In my experience it's just a little out of control and so expensive to start them at 2. We do swimming,gymnastics and an art class. It just seems like so much for such a young age.

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  7. Love this! Especially after our conversation last week. Glad you are talking about it.

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  8. Oh, it was directed towards toddlers... gotcha :-)

    My youngest just turned 2 and I haven't started him in any activities yet... I agree that it is just too expensive at that age. It is simple things that make them happy and keep them busy :-)

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  9. Great post! Very heart felt. I'm with ya on overcommitting!

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  10. Love this! So many parents have their kids busy every evening of the week they are just going from one activity to the next. I was like you when I was young. Played outside from morning to dark...every day!
    Our 5 year old will play soccer this spring and tball in the summer and probably a week long camp, and is in preschool and our 1 year old goes to a mommy/me class and swim class. Those are our planned activities and I don't want to have to get a job to pay for more...lol!

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