I was waiting in the car with my 4 year old Carly - the Middle Child :) and my blue eyed baby boy of 19 months. Things were getting quite hairy, bored kids are a sight to behold, let alone in a cramped up car with no snacks or water to keep them going. We weren't there long we were waiting for my husband who had quickly run into the shop... so after playing eye spy and giving the baby every conceivable detachable thing in the car to try keep him content, we decided to try and sing to the boy... his favourite is a song from Barney, which I love singing, it cheers me up everytime...
It goes like this: "Ha ha ha, hee hee hee, come on get silly and laugh with me wriggle wraggle wriggle wraggle ho ho ho, if you're feeling happy let it show", so I started with the actions and I was ready to get my barney groove on when my daughter said "MOM!" to which I quickly jerked my head in her direction "Stop singing!" she says "Why?" I reply "don't I sing nicely" I ask. She replies "No you sing hectic!"
What is hectic singing, I know I'm not Sarah Brightman, but what is hectic???
I felt a lot better the next day while walking past the kitchen I heard a conversation between her father and herself - it went something like this:
DAD: "Think I'm going to put on some tunes while we cook"
Cue the music
Cue dad dancing through to some collective soul
Cue Carly "Dad, don't dance like that - you dance HECTIC"
There it was that word again, now I know what she means because I know how my husband dances :) hee hee
She is so funny!!!
Oh and by the way - the hectic singing didn't shut the boy up, I let him loose in the car in the end and he hooted the car stukkend that I almost got attacked by car guards thinking it was Christmas!! :)
Monday, September 20, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Blogging on the Bog
That's right, I have my laptop with me in the loo, not like it's giving me any peace and quiet though, I'm like a kid magnet today - I LOVE IT!!! (well today anyway because I don't have much going on and I'm in a good mood) - all these good nights of sleep have been AWESOME!!
My last blog was about 10 days ago and during that time I thought "You should really blog soon, it's been so many days since you last did it", I panicked a little - sounds weird I know - but only because I'm such a great starter - BUT Never finish anything - so the fact that this blog is still active is AMAZING.
I didn't blog during those 10 days because my following thought was "oooh if you don't blog the blogging police are going to get you" In a sarcastic tone - which is so true, there is nothing forcing me to do this, no desperate blogging addicts needing my words - so when I'm ready and when I actually have something interesting to say, then I'll blog....
In these last 10 days I've realised something so lifechanging and I feel so free because of it. I've learnt that in living life it's important to know how to do it without money. Because money is a temporary entity that comes and goes like a river ebbs and flows, you may have grown up with money and you may be wealthy now, but if tomorrow comes and you lose it all, will you know how to live without it.
So, while I'm sure most of us would love to be comfortable and have enough money to never stress again, I think it's important for children to learn how to do life without it. I have no maid and I was going to get one, but have now changed my mind, because in a week my girls have learned to make there own beds and not just slapdash, but really beautifully! They are learning the principle of cleaning up after yourself as well as work first then play (ok I may have left it a little late - but that's because - well I have no real cool reason really besides laziness), but that's besides the point.
What I'm trying to say in a nutshell is a little piece of advice for anyone that would like to take it...
Having too much money growing up, without the correct guidance from parents equals adults who do not have coping mechanisms to get through life. I have an analogy on the tip of my tongue, but can't seem to get it out....
It's like water wings on a child, it only offers a short term solution
A real life example, being a child with a full time maid at your beck and call, picking up after you, making your food whenever you demand it and having parents who buy you whatever you ask for, whenever you ask for it and when you get into financial trouble as a young adult, they bail you out and don't make you pay it back to them. Writing letters to authorities begging for a second chance when you child has gotten into trouble at school. Buying your child a house and paying the bond, paying for the garden service, employing them and paying them an exorbitant salary... This offers a short term solution - in order, clean house, full child, happy child, no tempers, no jail time, no bad reputation, a place for your child to live, that looks nice and manicured, a full time job where you can see them every day and keep them happy....
In the long run, what hasn't been learnt is: (in order.. :)
self discipline
patience
how to deal with disappointment
how to pick yourself up after falling
how to manage money
how to start again
self respect
Look I'm no psychologist, or anything, it just an observation I've noted and it's not a theory set in stone, I'm learning, I'm on a journey and I may very well be totally wrong, but I don't think I am. Life is about being balanced and I want to make sure that should life not be easy for my kids, they'll be able to cope and should it be easy, they'll take it in their stride and use it wisely!
Money is temporary, true richness is a good character, and once it's set cannot be taken from you.
And for the record - I wasn't on the bog the whole time :)
My last blog was about 10 days ago and during that time I thought "You should really blog soon, it's been so many days since you last did it", I panicked a little - sounds weird I know - but only because I'm such a great starter - BUT Never finish anything - so the fact that this blog is still active is AMAZING.
I didn't blog during those 10 days because my following thought was "oooh if you don't blog the blogging police are going to get you" In a sarcastic tone - which is so true, there is nothing forcing me to do this, no desperate blogging addicts needing my words - so when I'm ready and when I actually have something interesting to say, then I'll blog....
In these last 10 days I've realised something so lifechanging and I feel so free because of it. I've learnt that in living life it's important to know how to do it without money. Because money is a temporary entity that comes and goes like a river ebbs and flows, you may have grown up with money and you may be wealthy now, but if tomorrow comes and you lose it all, will you know how to live without it.
So, while I'm sure most of us would love to be comfortable and have enough money to never stress again, I think it's important for children to learn how to do life without it. I have no maid and I was going to get one, but have now changed my mind, because in a week my girls have learned to make there own beds and not just slapdash, but really beautifully! They are learning the principle of cleaning up after yourself as well as work first then play (ok I may have left it a little late - but that's because - well I have no real cool reason really besides laziness), but that's besides the point.
What I'm trying to say in a nutshell is a little piece of advice for anyone that would like to take it...
Having too much money growing up, without the correct guidance from parents equals adults who do not have coping mechanisms to get through life. I have an analogy on the tip of my tongue, but can't seem to get it out....
It's like water wings on a child, it only offers a short term solution
A real life example, being a child with a full time maid at your beck and call, picking up after you, making your food whenever you demand it and having parents who buy you whatever you ask for, whenever you ask for it and when you get into financial trouble as a young adult, they bail you out and don't make you pay it back to them. Writing letters to authorities begging for a second chance when you child has gotten into trouble at school. Buying your child a house and paying the bond, paying for the garden service, employing them and paying them an exorbitant salary... This offers a short term solution - in order, clean house, full child, happy child, no tempers, no jail time, no bad reputation, a place for your child to live, that looks nice and manicured, a full time job where you can see them every day and keep them happy....
In the long run, what hasn't been learnt is: (in order.. :)
self discipline
patience
how to deal with disappointment
how to pick yourself up after falling
how to manage money
how to start again
self respect
Look I'm no psychologist, or anything, it just an observation I've noted and it's not a theory set in stone, I'm learning, I'm on a journey and I may very well be totally wrong, but I don't think I am. Life is about being balanced and I want to make sure that should life not be easy for my kids, they'll be able to cope and should it be easy, they'll take it in their stride and use it wisely!
Money is temporary, true richness is a good character, and once it's set cannot be taken from you.
And for the record - I wasn't on the bog the whole time :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)