Happy New Year, peeps!!!

Thanks so much for being a part of my world, and for adding your voice to the quest to improve the lives of children — and in the process, our own lives — by reconnecting with nature, making time for play, and putting the desire for happiness and joy above things and money.

I am rerunning my 10 Wishes for Today’s Kids post, which was one of the most popular posts of the year. I hope it resonates even more on this, the first day of a new decade.

Cheers to a happy, healthy, and play-filled 2011, my friends!

xoxo- Bethe

“Childhood is the fiery furnace in which we are melted down to essentials and that essential shaped for good.”

~ Katherine Anne Porter

As a writer, and I hope, a thought-leader on childhood issues, I spend a lot of time speaking to parents, educators, and other grown-ups. Today, I want to speak to the kids. Hopefully, some of their grown-ups listen in.

10 things I wish:

1. That the media stops scaring the crap out of your parents 24-7, so that they think the only place you are safe is tucked away in the house;

2. That the decision-makers get down to business with true education reform so that you have the opportunity to learn to LOVE to learn, and not just learn (um, maybe) what will be on a test;

3. That we “grown-ups” stop being so lawsuit happy, so that liability is not the first thing on the minds of educators, parks and recreation professionals, community associations, and other parents. I hope with all my might that you are actually allowed to play and have fun in this life;

4. That you realize that you have choices, and the right to make mistakes — and the world will not stop spinning when you do;

5. That your parents set a limit on screen time. I know, you don’t want to hear this, but trust me on this one — it’s a must;

6. That you learn to LOVE to read. Even if they do make a movie about it, you can bet the book is better. Learn to get lost in a story and try your hand at writing your own;

7. That you spend every moment you can outside. Check out the woods, the beach, the mountains, and everything else in between. Let nature awe you;

8.  That you learn to be fearless, bold, and let your freak flag wave. I don’t mean live dangerously — but I do mean have the guts and gumption to really live and don’t be afraid to be yourself;

9. That you don’t get everything you want, that things don’t always come easily to you, that sometimes you fall flat on your face, and that you figure out (um, eventually) that these are all good things; and

10. That you get the freedom to breathe and the space to explore the world and figure out who you are in it.

So, that’s it. I have a lot of hopes and wishes for you guys, but what I want most of all is for you to grow up knowing how to appreciate life as the rich and fascinating ride that it is, and to know how to dust yourselves off and pick yourselves up when things get tough, because they will. Oh that, and to really know how to laugh — deep, from the belly, bone-stirring laughter. It’s one of the greatest skills you can ever learn.

Enjoy the ride and great good luck, kiddos. I will be rooting for you.

See ya outside! ~ The Grass Stain Guru

photo credit: Haprog_