10 Wishes for Today’s Kids

September 16, 2009

“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

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By Bethe | Posted in Perspectives, parenting | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (33)

The End of the Sidewalk for Imagination?

June 4, 2009

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we’ll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

Can today’s children still find this place — the place where the sidewalk ends? Among the loud promises of  TV commercials and the buzz and clang of video games, can they hear the quite place where chalk-white arrows go? Do they even know to look? Do they have time to breathe, to relax, to think? To create their own worlds, versus those that are readily supplied for them by adults, marketers, and game developers?

I don’t like the answers these questions are leading me to. How about you?

I look at the whimsical, yet meaningful words of Silverstein and I have no doubt that he was a man who played as a child. Who explored, and laughed, and failed a thousand times and soared to great heights in worlds of his own making.

If creativity and innovation are the future of the workforce and society, how can we expect to meet them successfully if we don’t give children’s minds the room to roam? The power to dream and the freedom to fail?

I’m going outside to think. To dream. To problem-solve. I am so grateful I was given the space — the freedom — to develop these skills as a child. They have served me well.

See ya outside! – The Grass Stain Guru

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By Bethe | Posted in Perspectives | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (22)