Clinton Township Newsletter

3 m a r c h 2 0 1 9 Carol Beder's – Julie Fl�nn n Reach Over 14,000 Local Consumers Monthly n Change Your Message Monthly n Have Your Ad Designed – Free! n Run a Small Article (about 150 words) – Free! n Have your ad linked to your website at: www.ClintonTwpNewsletter.com email us at: Want your message seen by over 14,000 readers? When you advertise in the Clinton Township Newsletter you can: ctnl@comcast.net ♥ "I'm bored!" they'd grumble, looking at me expectantly. My reply was the same one that my mother used to give me when I was a child: "It's not my job to entertain you. You all need to figure out how to entertain yourselves." My kids would get that 'ugh' look on their face. I could tell they were thinking, "Just entertain us please." And then quickly came... the spark. Their eyes would light up and one would say, "I know what we can do! Follow me!!!" and off they'd go. I'd try to wait a bit before checking on them, all the while hoping that their plans didn't involve fire, or jumping off the roof, or catapulting themselves through the air. (And then I'd remember that my siblings and I and our neighborhood friends probably did all those things, and more.) My point is, I think that experiencing boredom, and learning to overcome it on their own is not only good for children, it's essential. I got some experience with children figuring out their own fun early, through babysitting. I'll never forget, when looking after two very adorable, very precocious kids who lived catty-corner across the street from us, that an active child who becomes very quiet for a stretch of time is maybe not a good thing. On one occasion, just after I began to think, "Well this is nice and peaceful..." in walked the daughter, about 5 years old at the time, her face completely covered with her mother's coral-colored lipstick. Reader – that child looked like an Oompa Loompa and, frankly, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I think I did both. Her older brother, about 8 or 9 at the time, was into pyrotechnics. "Hey Julie, wanna see me blow up this bottle rocket I made in the backyard?" Since I was only about 12 at the time, any better judgement I might have had was gone in an instant and my answer was, of course, "Um, yes!" Thank goodness he didn't do any major damage with those and also, quite memorably, the scary myth-busters-like, 'wall of flame' that he created once in our street. Years later, when I had actual children of my own, I figured that karma would probably catch up to me due to that experience. However, dare I say it, so far, so good. I actually happened to get a chance to visit with the parents of those children a year or two ago, and I fessed up about those incidents, apologized profusely and admitted that I probably shouldn't have been left in charge of their children, as I was still somewhat of a child myself. ("Nonsense." they said, not batting an eye.) Kids -- needless to say and despite the above, don't play with fire. I remember a plan my kids came up with one summer -- a wiffleball game – in our front yard. I pointed out the fact that we had a big backyard with plenty of space for sports – after all, that's what sold my husband and me on the house in the first place. But no, according to the kids, only the front yard would do, so we tried to relax about the fact that the children were running all over our yard, right next to busy Blossom Hill Road. I soon realized the wisdom of their front-yard decision. Every child who was driven by our place saw the game and returned soon after on their bikes to join the fun. I delivered a steady supply of snacks and drinks on the front steps all summer long, to kids of all ages, for a game that lasted all summer long. My husband and I decided that, no matter the expense, it was well worth it. The grass became a bit destroyed in spots but, as the saying goes, we weren't raising grass, we were raising kids. When I think about all of the games that were played, movies that were made, forts that were built, adventures that were forged, paintings and art projects that were created, pianos that were played, books that were read, stories that were written, elaborate imaginary backyard battles fought, lemonade stands manned, fishes caught (and released) and hikes taken at the Baptist Camp pond down the road, etc., I'm happy now knowing that my children had a very full and colorful childhood, right here at home. While I hope your children never have a permissive babysitter the likes of me from long ago, I do hope that you allow them the opportunity to be bored... and then give them the space to figure out what to do with their time. (And, I'll bet now you're thinking about some of the crazy stuff you and your friends and siblings used to do when you were kids, right?)

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