I read an article in the newspaper today that said parents around the world agree that kids don't get enough time to be kids, they don't get enough free time. Amen! I agree 100% with that.
I need to give my sister, Jenn some props here for ensuring her kids get this free time to play, read or do whatever without the TV on. Great job and please don't give in as they start to get older!
Back to what this story...
I started to think about the lack of time to just be for not only kids, but all of us. The silly thing is that while kids have parents who hopefully guide them to make time for fun, who do us grown ups have? I can say with certainty that no one tells me to make sure I stop each day to take some time to do what I want. I do that but only because I choose to. There are bosses who tell us when to be at work and what to do with the eight plus hours we spend there, friends and family who tell us what to do with the time out of work, the list goes on and on. American society tells us we aren't successful if we aren't busy doing things. Huh? No flippin way!
I consciously make an effort to stop cleaning or checking emails etc to sit down on the floor and play with my son or to just take time to breathe deeply in a few moments of silence. He's only 16 months old but he can sense it when I'm distracted or upset so I do my best to have those focused moments to just have fun with him.
When I have "me" time I spend most of it these days writing or doing things online that relate to writing. Never did I imagine writing novels would become my number one choice of things I want to do in my spare time! But I truly love it. I have to make myself put my laptop away to watch a movie with my family or to just hang out with friends (something I really need to make more an effort to do!) My hope is that I can always enjoy writing this much, even when I become an author with published work and deadlines. But like everything, it's a choice we have the ability to make.
Eekkk there I go again, not even sticking to the point!
Kids. Play time. Hello?
If you have kids please make sure they have time to just be kids. To have fun building forts with the couch cushions and getting dirty in the mud. And don't forget that you need play time to just be with no scheduled activities.
Every human being needs time to just do whatever it is they feel like doing at that exact moment. For me it happens to be writing this blog! Go figure.
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