Posted by mike | Posted in Families @ Play, Families, Media, and Technology | Posted on 31-03-2011
I was sitting in conversation with someone (not from the church – so you won’t be able to guess who!) who part way through the conversation took out his phone and started texting on it while maintaining the conversation. It reminded how guilty we are as adults of not always following the instructions we give to your children. How many of us have told our children to:
1) look someone in the eye when you’re talking to them
2) to pay full attention to the person you are talking about
Isn’t it interesting how technology changes that as we get older? We become distracted by cell phones, laptops, iPads, tv, etc. and our focus becomes divided when we are with our children. Yet, when we want their attention, we want them to pay full attention to us – or else they are being disrespectful. Perhaps we’re not always the most consistent.
Maybe the bigger concern, is what is determining our priorities? Does our technology now set the basis of how and when we can relation to family? Perhaps we need to be a bit better at turning off our tech, and more engaged in how we relate as a family. Technology will come and go – but our famliies are something we can invest in for a lifetime. So perhaps we’re more invested in our technology than we think, and maybe, our kids notice that more than we think. Let’s surprise our kids and show them how to value someone – by giving them our full attention as we play with them and help nurture them and their faith.
Posted by admin | Posted in Families @ Play | Posted on 05-03-2010
So here are some ideas from families in our church on how to play together….
- turn on the radio or a favourite cd and have a blast singing as loud as you can and dancing around the house
- do a playground adventure day – travelling around town with a map looking for playgrounds to “test”, rate, and mark on our map.
- set up obstacle courses – inside or out – and time each other.
- When the kids were learning to ride bikes, we went to an outdoor rink (boards and concrete in summer) and played our version of “quidditch” – I would be the golden snitch (wearing my roller blades and skating around like crazy) and the kids were the quidditch players riding their brooms(bikes) and trying to catch me.
- We like to build forts/tents (inside or out) together (still).
- We played a lot of croquet and bocce (usually with our own rules so everyone could join in
- We’ve hosted many neighborhood talent shows/plays/puppet theatres.
- We had putting contests on the practice greens at the golf course.
- Tobogganing at Facey, skating at Millenium, lots of time chasing kids in the indoor playground at Millenium.
- Uno, Go Fish, Snap.
- Chalk drawing all over the neighborhood and bubbles, skipping, bug catching.
- Practicing Tae Kwon Do together until we were all tangled up in a big heap on the grass.
- Reading together as a family, even the same series
- making up new words to old songs
- making a snow fort each winter – all winter long –each year planning it out and how you’re going to build it. Check out the picture:
