Well Rounded Children

One of the things I put a lot of effort into is having a well-rounded son.  Not just a child that is good at academics or athletics or art, but a child that has experience in all.  I believe that children should try their hand at all types of things before they are allowed to say they don’t like something or they don’t want to try.  That is actually the rule in my house….you have to try before you give up.  So every spring I begin to look at what activities my son can participate in for the rest of the year.  I start by looking for activities that I know he likes best.  My son LOVES LEGO’s so I am always looking to see if he is old enough to participate in a LEGO robotics camp.  Once I have found an activity I know he will love I look for activities to help develop his other muscles. 

If you have a little boy like me you most likely have experienced the resistance to all things academic and only having the desire to play.  This is why I try so hard to find different activities for him to participate in.  I remember when I was in middle school my dad asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and taking me to the library to look it up.  As I got older doing that helped me decide to go to college.  As I began to look into what was necessary to get into college I noticed they all asked what I did besides go to school.  I had a few extra curriculars but not enough to make me stand out.  Luckily for me since I started looking at what I wanted to be when I was in middle school my dad had me start to look at what it would take to get into college in 10^th grade.  Thank God for my dad!  I spent the next two years participating in whatever activities I could. So the tradition continues in my house only I am starting in elementary school.  I am hoping to create the habit of being able to balance school and extra curriculars at a young age to help ensure the well roundedness of my son as he gets older.

Below is a short list of resources I use to help well-round my son…Enjoy!

Reading Camp

Summer Camp

DAPCEP

Michigan Science Ctr

After School Enrichment (check with your child’s school)

Seasonal Sports (check your local recreational facility)

Moms’ Night Out

Being a mom is one of the most thankless jobs I have ever loved.  But I am not only a mom, I work full time and I am a student.  I find myself wishing weekends could have just one more day, just one more day that I could have all to myself.  So every once in a while I call (actually text) my girlfriends and start throwing out dates, because like me my friends are super busy moms.  Most of the time we end up doing something that involves the kids or just getting together to watch movies and have a glass of wine with the kids (no wine for the kids though =)). 

Occasionally there is an event or its one of our birthdays and we get to be free of the kids.  I remember when my son was younger I used to feel bad for leaving him.  Asking myself was a bad mom for wanting to leave him.  I had to realize that I was a better mom when I did.  So today when I go on a Moms’ Night Out evening and he asks can he come with me or when I will back I simply kiss him on the forehead and tell him I love him and that mommy will be back later.  I no longer feel guilty for leaving for a couple of hours before he goes to bad.

So now that we have set a date with our friends and we will not feel guilty what should we do??  Where should we go??  Don’t pick somewhere that you could have actually brought your child with you to do.  Remember what you used to like to do before the kids.  Go see a rated R movie, go have a drink, go to the theatre.  And if you are still at a loss for ideas check out one of my fav pintrest boards.  The bottom line is to have fun.  Every mom deserves it and that includes you.

Are you ready for Social Media and your child?????

So I don’t have a teenager or even a pre-teen so technology for me and my son stays strictly to apps and games that I choose for him.  But my sisters and my best friend have teenagers and the choice of what their kids read and see is out of their hands….so to speak.  For the parents that I know somewhere between the age of 10 and 13 kids have their own smart phone and or tablet.  This means that these kids can download and go to basically any site they like.  Hearing this freaked me out.  How do you keep you kids off non-child friendly sites??  How do you keep them from predators?? How do you keep CONTROL?? Ok, I needed to take a deep breathe.  At some point I am going to have to let go and trust that you taught your child right from wrong and what is dangerous and they will heed to those lessons. BUT before I do I am going to have to know how to teach my son the dos and don’ts of selfies and what social media sites are ok and what is acceptable behavior.  So I had to do a little research.  The media would have you believe that selfies can be dangerous and damaging to the child.  As what you put on the internet stays on the internet FOREVER!!  And what about making “Friends” on social media….you don’t know who these people really are.  But according to the article The Upside of Selfies and Social Media  it really isn’t that bad.  Teens actually feel more comfortable via social media as they can be themselves and aren’t afraid of being judged as they are in room full of their peers.  So there is a point for social media and creating confidence in teenagers.  I remember being 13 wearing glasses and being too shy to participate in extracurricular activities, social media could have helped me.  But how do I monitor what my child is doing and saying and to whom.  Well in the article 5 ReasonsEvery Parent Should be Aware of Instagram it advises that you should create your own account and “Friend” your child so you can see their page.  This made complete sense to me.  When I was a younger teen I used to wait until my mom went to bed to talk to boys so she couldn’t hear what I was saying.  Having your own account will allow you to see what your child is saying and what people are saying to them, but far less intrusively.  So maybe social media isn’t as bad for teens as I had thought……but it’s a good thing my son is only 8 because I am certainly not ready for it.