I’ve been a tweeter for half
a year now and one of the great benefits is the people you get to meet - people
from all over the world you’d otherwise never know.
One day I stumbled across a very
moving blog written by a fellow tweeter, Shara, and became an instant friend. I
like her openness and insight into children, and her ability to find the silver
lining. I hope you will too!
Warmly, Beverley
Can parenting be FUN?
Why not, right? According to studies, the happiest people on the
planet tend to be those who live in lower stress environments (on islands or in
smaller towns, etc). They have fewer cars, fewer corporate jobs (if any), fewer
heart attacks, fewer worries and typically…more children. They also seem to
laugh more.
Children, in my
opinion, are born ready to laugh. They want to have fun, giggle, chuckle, belly
laugh and they find the smallest (and smelliest) of things hilarious.
Most of them, by nature, don’t care if there are toys lying
around or fingerprints on the TV set. They don’t usually mind if the dishes are
un-done or if the laundry is piled up. They don’t care if the bank account is
low or if the gas has run out in the car. These things matter to parents and might
even stress us out but for our kids – being able to enjoy life’s moments is
what matters most.
Bank account low? That’s okay. It happens to all of
us. Get dressed up in costumes and walk through the neighborhood on a scavenger
hunt. You’ll forget all about the bank account and the kids will forever
remember the fun you had. The neighbors will enjoy it, too, yes.
No gas in the car? Okay. Find what you can in the
cupboard or fridge and create a living room picnic. Pull out some board games
or card games and enjoy each other’s company right there at home.
No diapers left? This stinks. Diaper banks and
pregnancy centers will oftentimes give them to you for free. Laugh it off. Does
it suck to have to humble yourself and ask for a handout? Sure. But laugh about
it.
Most folks, unless born to wealth, experience hardships at one time or
another. “Someday we’ll laugh hard about how we had to wrap her butt in paper
towels and duct tape for one night!” That’s darn funny – even if it does suck
to run out of diapers.
Every situation can have a funny side, if we look for it. Our
kids are young for such a short time and I promise you – they will not remember
the difficult moments if you, yourself, learn to laugh things off.
They’ll always remember the laughter and FUN, though. That will
become a staple in the feeding of their memory. To the betterment of their health…and
yours.
Shara Lawrence-Weiss has a background in early
childhood, education, nanny work, marketing, freelance and special needs. She’s
worked with children for 23+ years. You can check her out at Mommy Perks.
If you'd like to put more fun in your family we can help @ parentingnetwork.ca.
Do you have a child you wish was more outgoing, more social? Had more friends? Well you may have an introvert on your hands. 
