We
pride ourselves on being busy. How many Christmas letters have you
received that began with, “We have had a busy year” or Facebook posts,
“It was such a busy day!” Being involved in activities is
healthy – it allows us to try new things, it encourages us to meet other
people, and it helps us stay active.
How
busy is too busy? Do you find yourself running around so much with
your own activities and your kids’ activities that everyone is so
exhausted at the end of every day? Do you have any down time where
nothing is scheduled? Do you feel like you are driving your kids from
one activity to the next? Are your kids asking just to stay home?
It is so different now from when we were kids.
Back then, I was involved in multiple activities, but we would only
have 1-2 practices during the week, and one game on Saturday morning. We
played in one tournament in Okoboji – and that was a really big deal. Now
kids have practices, games, and tournaments (many outside the city
requiring lots of travel) every night of the week.
I know how I feel when I have had too much going on. I
cherish the time after an especially long week when I can get into my
comfortable clothes, relax, and just hang out with my family. Those
times are precious. Some of my favorite memories are those days when
we just played in the backyard, no set time, no set structure, just
playing together. Kids want and need that time, too.
The key is finding the healthy balance between structured activities and unstructured playtime.
Some of it is out of our control, but if we try to make small changes
with the time we can control, we might be able to enjoy ‘just playing’ a
little more.
Schedule in ‘white space’
It seems ironic that you have to schedule downtime, but
if you find your calendar continuously becomes full with little time
left for play, try blocking out ‘white space’ where nothing is
scheduled. Even a small amount of time can make a big difference.
Plan a Family Night
My brother and his family have a family night every
week. This can include going to movies, playing board games at home,
going to a game and then out for pizza – the activity changes every
week, but the time is scheduled and something everyone looks forward to.
Occasionally, they have to move the day if there is a conflict, but
they make it a priority to regularly connect with one another and have
fun together.
It is OK to say ‘No’
As your children get older, their friends will become involved in a
variety of activities and will inevitably encourage your kids to get
involved with them, too. ”I want to do karate with Joe, swimming with
Sam, soccer with Elizabeth, etc.” but it would be nearly impossible to
be in all of these activities at the same time. Instead, try to limit
your children to two extracurricular activities each season, especially
ones that they particularly enjoy. If they would like to try a new
activity, try a one-day event or join their friend for one visit to see
if it is an activity they would like to further pursue.
Allow your kids to use their imaginations and create play on their own.
As parents, it is not our job to entertain our kids all the time. Jenae, creator of a ICanTeachMyChild.com writes at MomLifeToday,
“Yes, we want our kids to have a happy childhood with a variety of
experiences. But this certainly doesn’t mean that the mark of a good
mother is one who spends all her time creating and engaging her kids in
those activities…Play with our children? Yes, although not every minute
of the day.” Planning every activity and making sure our kids are
constantly entertained does not allow them to use their own imaginations
to create play on their own.
Kids do not have to begin activities just because there is a team available for them.
It
seems the age for organized sports is becoming younger and younger. I
believe there is a soccer league for my son’s age group, but we have
decided to wait to sign him up for a least a few more years. I am very
excited for when that time comes, but for now, kicking around a soccer
ball or playing catch in the backyard with him is just as much fun, and
helps him learn the fundamentals of each game.
Support and encourage one another.
Parenting is an amazing journey, filled with many joys, challenges, and
decisions. We all want the same thing – to do what is best for our
families, and we make choices to support that. It is not a competition
of who is the busiest, who is volunteering for the most committees,
whose child is in the most activities. As parents, let us support and
encourage one another to continue to do the best we can for our kids.
Cherish those special moments and enjoy playtime with your children.
Whether
you have a lot of time or just the ten minutes in the car between
activities, make that time count. They grow up way too fast. Instead
of asking you to play with Hot Wheels ‘just one more time’ with them,
they will be asking to drive their own Hot Wheels!
What would you add? How do you balance your structured activities and unstructured playtime?
Julie
is a mom to two young children and loves playing with her kids. She
helps other parents find great deals, inspiration, and family-friendly
activities and events in Omaha at TheSpiritofSaving.com.
Mazzarri focused on run-in
ReplyDeleteAgen Bola indo11.com reported, Napoli head coach Walter Mazzarri is determined to secure the points that will bring his side UEFA football next season.
The Naples outfit are seven points clear of third-placed Milan with four games left to play, meaning two wins will guarantee second spot and a place at Europe’s top table.
Inter travel to Stadio San Paolo on Sunday, with Andrea Stramaccioni’s side struggling to qualify for continental competition, but Mazzarri is not taking the Milan side for granted.
He said: “We need to gain six points, we have always looked at ourselves, we don’t look at the other teams. We know that if we gain six points in the last four games we have left to play then we have secured second place. We don’t need to take into consideration the other teams’ results, that’s our point.
“Let’s talk about Inter, because you all tend to underrate teams and give unbalanced judgements on them,” he said. as reported by Indo Eleven.
“I don’t want to be the coach who’s always complaining about the difficult challenges we have ahead, but think at how hard it was for us to gain the three points against Atalanta and Cagliari.
“Now let’s look at the table: Cagliari and Atalanta have fewer points than Inter. Inter is the seventh team in the table and even if they have some injured players, they’re a top club with many important players.
Source : www.indo11.com
Pochettino calls for Southampton to positive response
ReplyDeleteAgen Bola indo11.com reported, Mauricio Pochettino wants Southampton to turn recent frustrations into positive performances in their final three Premier League games.
Since his arrival in England, Pochettino has seen his side win four out of 13 games, but they are without victory in their previous three matches, and he wants his players to use the pain of last week’s 3-0 defeat to West Brom as a motivating factor when they face Tottenham.
Southampton won three consecutive matches in March to lift themselves out of the bottom three and open up a seven-point gap between themselves and the relegation zone, however their recent form has meant they are not yet mathematically safe.
They travel to White Hart Lane in their penultimate away fixture of the season and the Argentine knows that picking up anything will be tough, be remains positive his team have the firepower to avoid defeat. as reported by Indo Eleven.
“We’re going to be facing a really good team,” Pochettino said.
“They have very good footballers, but in football anything is possible, and we have our own strengths and weapons.
Source : www.indo11.com
Agen Bola : Dukungan Barcelona Terus Mengalir
ReplyDeleteIndo Eleven - Gelandang Barcelona FC, Andres Iniesta berterima kasih atas dukungan para pendukung timnya, dan berjanji jika musim depan akan kembali dengan performa lebih baik. Hal itu diutarakannya, usai Blaugarana gagal menembus final Liga Champions musim ini. Menghadapi Bayern Munich di semifinal, skuad besutan Tito Vilanova dibuat tak berdaya, dan takluk dengan agregat tujuh gol tanpa balas.
Kendati perjalanan mereka tak mulus sejak awal kompetisi, namun dukungan dari Barcelonista terus mengalir. Hal serupa juga tetap mereka tunjukkan pada laga dini hari tadi di Nou Camp, di mana Barca butuh mengejar defisit empat gol Bayern.
Oleh karena itu, gelandang timnas Spanyol itu pun mengaku bakal membayarnya dengan perjuangan musim depan. Ini adalah sebuah pertarungan yang sangat ketat. Kami harus berterima kasih pada fans, atas semua dukungan mereka sejak kami tiba di bus, hingga akhir pertandingan," tutur Iniesta seusai laga. Kami akan kembali untuk memperjuangkannya musim depan. Visca Barca!"