Tag Archives: playing

Hallway Ball

In the time I’ve spent with my son so far I’ve had some difficulty getting him to play on his own. My attempts to surround him with toys have fallen flat. My work towards entertaining him with anything that isn’t me simply hasn’t worked. When I sit down at my desk and begin to type I am inevitably treated to a view of my son stressfully squeeling and reaching up towards me in some obvoius discomfort. He’s figured me out: when Dad sits down at the computer he is dead to the world and focused on something else. Eventually I … Continue reading →

Dad’s Work Chair

One of the few realms Dad has a good amount of control over is the desk. It is readily observed as Dad’s desk and everyone treats it as such. Proof of this can be found simply by leaving a mess of books around the house. Inevitably those books, when my wife finds their current placement angering, will end up haphazardly stacked on the desk. Shirts and sweaters left around the house will eventually be thrown either on the desk or in the desk chair. This small little realm is a joyous and necessary place for Dad. The rigors of graduate … Continue reading →

Discovering Rooms

It was unbelievable! Incredible! Shocking! On such an ordinary day (a Sunday), in such an ordinary place (my son’s bedroom), I couldn’t believe what was happening (a secret)! While sitting on the floor, studiously reading that large textbook I was to have absorbed the next day, I shared time and space with my son. It went like this: He was enjoying a large stuffed bear (that he originally feared) and generally enjoying his furry friend. I went back to my book. When I looked up again he was standing and balancing himself on top of a large box of diapers. … Continue reading →

Nursing Back to Health

After spending two days whimpering in pain, fever, and sickness with his Dad my son got what he really needed: Mom. I’ve said before that my wife does everything but it’s really true. A major skill my wife possesses that I do not is the ability to nurse our son. It’s not only about nourishment though. My son is significantly more calm and relaxed when he is with his mother. During the two days he was with me he was constantly looking around. He’d look to the sofa, look in the bed, look in the kitchen and the bathroom too. … Continue reading →

Mr. Meow Meets His Match

Mr. Meow in his blue and yellow hut Not much phases Mr. Meow. Thunder and sudden, loud noises might send him scampering for cover. The key word being “might.” He’s really a pretty sturdy cat. After all, he survived being abandoned, being found by me and Budly, saying goodbye to Budly, the Murphy adoption, Hurricane Frances, the 600 mile move from Jacksonville to Nashville, and a 2,300 mile round trip family Christmas road trip in a rented minivan. I call him the Antagonizer and the Instigator, because I’ve seen him purposely provoke Murphy’s best friend Tucker, the 80 pound wonder … Continue reading →

Kid Fitness: Take Your Toddler Outside

In our urgency to protect our children from the world, we may go too far and protect them from the environment and keeping them cooped up in the house. We may overdo it and then television becomes a substitute for real experience and it’s important to remember that going outside for your toddler is going to be as hard as getting a bird to fly – they only need one thing: you. Toddlers love the outdoors, they love to go out and play and walk and run and dance. They love the grass and how it feels against their feet. … Continue reading →

Attention Parents: Exercise Can Help Your Kids Get Better Grades

I thought that title might get your attention. As parents, we want to do everything we can to give our children the best opportunities for success. Among the opportunities we want to give our children include: Access to good teachers Access to positive experiences Access to quality time with us We measure their response and their success by not only their actions and behavior, but also by the grades they receive in school. Personally speaking, I do not think grades are a measure of intelligence, only of aptitude and actual grasping of skills and the application of them. So What … Continue reading →

Your Kids & Exercise

As I was telling you earlier, today is the first day of school in my area and it seemed like a great time to revisit the fact that kid’s need exercise. It’s important to remember that while we think of exercise as walking on the treadmill or lifting weights, exercise for our kids happens during soccer practice, gym class, playing at recess and riding their bikes around the park. The Benefits of Exercise: Kids who are active (exercise): Have stronger muscles have strong bones have leaner bodies is far less likely to be overweight will sleep better will cope better … Continue reading →

Rainy Day Ideas

For rainy days or other times when children cannot go outside to play, you can bring the outdoors inside. You will have fun too, and your kids will think you are a pretty cool parent. Indoor Sandbox For an indoor sandbox, you will need a deep plastic storage container with a lid, sand, and some sand toys. Use a nice, wide box so children have plenty of room to play. It is a good idea to spread out a plastic shower curtain liner to place beneath your indoor sandbox. When your kids are finished playing, simply roll it up, take … Continue reading →

Nature – deficit Disorder Plaguing Our Children

In a world where media use is on the rise causing children to spend time indoors and many children live in places where their backyard consists of a concrete slab author Richard Louv says a new disorder is affecting our children – nature deficit disorder. In his new book Last Child in the Woods, Richard Louv claims that children are losing their connection with the natural world. Although not an official diagnosis, Richard Louv describes nature deficit disorder as an effect of withdrawing nature from childhood experiences. It increases stress and inattention and causes feelings of not being rooted in … Continue reading →