Let the Kids Decide?
Is it time to go yet?
Yesterday Little Miss and I went to a local soft play place to play with our best friends, @MummyMatters and her children. We were chatting about our girls and how they really need to wear themselves out. Sabina is struggling a bit with juggling an energetic two-year-old and a 7 week old baby and has found that her daughter is MUCH more cooperative when she’s burned herself right out.
A few weeks back Sabina and her children were playing at a local park. As her daughter was happily playing with other children and it was safe and secure, Sabina sat and fed her son on a bench and watched them play. They stayed until her Little Bean ASKED to go home. That got me to thinking… When do we ever let the kids decide?
I know, I know…it’s not like we can start the day by asking them what they would like to do/eat/watch/read/see can we? But maybe, just once in a while shouldn’t we let them dictate what happens? Even if it’s only for a segment of the day? I know I am very guilty of giving in to going to the park and then after about 30 minutes, when I’m bored, I say it’s time to go. Sometimes it’s not a problem, especially if there’s an incentive. But sometimes she kicks off right proper and has a full-on “NO! I DON’T WANT TO GO!”
So, here’s a challenge for us ALL (including me). Maybe just once next week (see how it goes before it becomes a REGULAR thing) take the morning or afternoon and ASK your child what they would like to do. Then let them choose what you do when you get there, what you eat, what you drink and how long you stay. If, like Little Miss, your child is too young to make SENSIBLE choices (I don’t think going to visit Charlie & Lola will be possible, love!), perhaps pick a place that you know is a favourite destination (one of the parks around us, McDonald’s for brekkie, local swimming pool) and then let them decide how long they want to stay. Obviously darkness or something closing might force a move but let them play AND YOU PLAY WITH THEM until they’re READY TO GO HOME!
I’m setting this as a challenge for myself. I’m not brilliant at this. I’m good at deciding that it’s time for ME to go home without considering that LITTLE MISS isn’t quite so ready. So, I’m going to give this a whirl, take a few pictures (as I have been known to do) and write about our experiment. Who’s with me? Take up the “Let the Kids Decide” challenge yourself and write about it as well. I think we’ll have some pretty satisfied (and hopefully tired) children afterwards. Are you game?
Related Posts
-
Lessons Learned after 13 days as a 2nd time Mum
Posted on Dec 7, 2011
-
Not now dear, I’m blogging!
Posted on Sep 22, 2011
-
Mari’s World takes Centre Stage
Posted on Sep 2, 2011
-
Festival Family Failure
Posted on Aug 11, 2011
Tags
Share This
I was thinking about this after we left and I remembered back to when Curly was little. I used to take him to the park once a week (as he only lives with us part-time) and let him control the play. If the park was empty this was good but if there were people there I used to feel very embarrassed because he wanted to play a “Mr Mouse” game where he was Mr Mouse and I was Mr Toad. I had to properly act out being his friend, knocking at the door to his imaginary house, sitting on the swings to eat our imaginary tea, getting on an imaginary plane to go on holiday, coming down the slide as the plane was landing etc etc. If other parents were there I could feel their giggles behind my back – BUT Curly loved it and that is what was important!