Is there suddenly an unspoken rule against kids being kids?
I jumped into the parenting game a little later in life, so I had no idea it was no longer cool for children to be children. When did the rules change? Recently, my son shared with me that an adult told him he was childish. Childish? He is EIGHT, what else could he be if not a CHILDISH CHILD. I was perplexed, to say the least. Being honest, I was also a little upset. Why is he being shunned for being a child? I admit that he is definitely a silly kid that enjoys being the center of attention. But why is this an awful thing?
My four-year-old still enjoys pretend play, dolls, and Play-Doh. I hear so many moms say “oh my child doesn’t play.” Well, what is your child doing? I’m not judging, but I also challenge you to stop judging kids that do enjoy being a kid. I have no immediate desire to have my children deal with grownup issues. I enjoy watching them be carefree, footloose, and fancy-free. I love seeing the dirt on their shoes when they come home…it means they’ve had an opportunity to burn some calories and be a kid.
So if your kid(s) come to my house just know they will get dirty and they will play. They will not be asked to do grownup things. That’s my job. There are dolls in our home. There are toys in our home. There’s likely a crayon drawing on a wall. You may even find a half-eaten snack under the table. But most importantly you will find my “Childish Children” living and loving life with a smile on their faces. You’ll find two kids that have the freedom to express themselves through the art of PLAY. My kids are just that, they are kids.
If you stay a while you may even find my husband and I playing too. . . kids have the rest of their lives to be adults. I’m going to enjoy childhood for as long as they will allow.
Beautifully written Little Sister ?.