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Friday, August 3, 2012

Get OUTSIDE!

I don't know about you, but when I was a child my mom kicked my butt outside as often as she could.  Actually, I don't think she really had to boot me outside....I lived in a small town and I was always riding my bike around town, visiting friends, playing in our yard, and making frequent trips down the highway to the Dairy Bar.

Well, fast forward many years later.  Now I'm the mom with a young daughter.  My kid is a freaking genius.  I know, I know...moms say that about their offspring, but in my case, I swear it's the truth.  My daughter has a natural gift in the arts.  She's always drawing something, glueing pieces of paper together to make awesome creations, and forever cutting up paper and string to fashion together something unique.  She's also really, really good at electronics.  Maybe it's the age, but she can work an iPad like nobody's business.  In fact, the child is ALWAYS on something electronic.  The other day I walked into the kitchen and saw her playing on the iPad wile simultaneously working the desktop with her DSI laying next to her.

Oye.

It's not like I don't try to get her outside.  She will whine and complain if I tell her to go play outside.  I don't remember fussing like that to my mom.  She's almost 7 years old and still doesn't ride her bike without training wheels because it's like a punishment worse than death if I "make" her ride.  Today her dad and I were both out there trying to get her going on it, and she got close but after about 5 minutes she declared she was done.

What can I do?  I think of that old expression, You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.   She just doesn't want to play outside.    Well, enough is enough.  She has one month left of summer and I'm forcing her outside everyday for at least a half hour.  She's going to whine and drive me crazy with her complaints, but oh well.

A part of me blames myself.  Last summer I was very pregnant and not in any way could I go outside and play with her.  I tried and I was miserable.  Her dad was in a bad spot with his PTSD that year and so he wouldn't help her.   The year before we were separated and we did spend more time outside, but not a tremendous time.  To be honest, I'm not very outdoorsy.  I should be....I live in Wisconsin where there's so much outdoorsy stuff to do.

Okay, new rule to myself too....get outside every day, even if for 10 minutes and enjoy the sun! (or light rain, or fog....and a little snow when that comes around)

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