I have a non-stop anxiety in the summer that I ought to be "doing something" and not allowing the kids to spend so much time on screens. The bigs have an x-box which gets lots of play by Sergei and Ilya, and their friends. Sergei spends a lot of time doing this and that on the computer....everything from looking at the menu of his favorite Sushi restuarant, to watching tutorials about dry-walling. Zhen is a Ruhnscape fanatic.....and Sergei and his neighborhood friend enjoy that, too. And, then, there is TV - Zhen loves cartoons and Mythbusters.
So, actually, I love to hear the exclamation - "Mom! I'm going to go jump!" Furthermore, I think it helps regulate all of them.
And, unlike soccer, their other favorite outdoor activity, there is no danger to the neighbor's window. We have a bit of an issue because there is a very crabby lady who lives across the street. We live on a quiet street and there is no problem with the kids playing soccer in the street - except that one lady has a FIT if the ball rolls even a foot onto her grass - and I have to tell you - there is nothing at all "special" about her lawn, and no bushes or flowers to be damaged. At most the ball might go a yard or two onto her grass - it is not like it goes near her porch or windows....I have to believe she is just an irritable soul. So, if she is in evidence, they'll play on the driveway - and that IS dangerous - to windows. We've replaced the neighbor's basement window twice and his garage door window twice. Fortunately, he doesn't actually live there; the house is empty most of the time.
Then, there's bikes. I'd hate to think how many bikes we've had stolen. I think all we have left is one very sub-standard specimen. Sergei's "good" bike was stolen when he rode it to the drugstore. He was only a moment, so didn't lock it...... Then, Ilya lay his in the front lawn and went to the garage, looking up to see a gang of kids steal his bike.... He ran in to get Craig to chase them down in the car, but between Ilya's rudimentary English at the time, and Craig's having been napping, no chase was forthcoming. Two more were stolen right out of our garage - when it was carelessly left open one night. So, at this point there is no exercise to be had bike-riding.
I was so much more protective of my older kids; I wouldn't even let them jump on a trampoline at a friend's house. I had Aidan keep his bike at the church because I thought East Lansing so much safer. Aidan and Lydia were not allowed to play, unsupervised, anywhere but the back yard. There was no way I'd let them go to the park without me, let alone walk to the party store!! I didn't allow TV watching, unless it was religous videos from the parish collection, or something on public TV. The Russians do all these things.
The common wisdom about parents "loosening up" is certainly true in my case. But I think there were two other things going on, as well. When you know your child has done way more perilous and on-his-own things in a far-distant and seemingly much more dangerous place, it seems oddly silly to be over-protective. Sergei and Ilya entertained themselves by jumping off roofs and out of second story windows into snowdrifts, for example - so, I should say a trampoline is too dangerous? Anastasia was living on her own, and foraging for food in a city nearly as big as ours - so, how can I say she can't take a run, or go to the playground in the park (a block away) on her own? Then, too, having been given more freedom, they are more self-confident and savvy, really. And they are all very strong and fit. They not only climb trees, they leap out of them. Zhen doesn't just jump on the trampoline, he is attempting to perfect a flying dismount. Yes. Onto dirt. OK - occasionally I am still shocked and horrified. And glad we are just a block from the hospital.
0 comments:
Post a Comment