Muscatine

Funny!!

My daughter still doesn't believe that ''once upon a time'', we actually used to have to get up and go over to the TV to change channels.

I just made..

you all stop and think about what you did as kids or with your kids and that is a great thing. Funny how a simple thing on the news turned to this.

I am so happy to read all the great things you have done with your kids or even when you where kids.

Growing up we where to poor to have video games or cable tv. Our kids have no idea how easy they have it these days. I also remember having to walk across the living room just to change the channel. My kid would freak out if he couldn't find the remote. Hey there's an idea....


I challenge EVERYONE!! Hide the remote from your kids and see what happends. I want to hear about it. Today the kids are out at 1:30pm and tomorrow they have the day off. This weekend it is going to be warmer, there is no reason they can't be outside playing and getting some fresh air. Pick one of these days that they are off from school and hide the remote and video games. Make them come up with something else to do on their own or as a family.

I will post on Monday morning asking how it all went. You all, who have children pick one of the 4 days and reply to my post on Monday. Lets see how these kids work when they don't have the simple things in life that they take for granted, such as the remote. Lets see how many want to play games as a family, or go outside and play with their friends or do they throw fits. This will work with the teenager kids as well. Lets make them do like we had to as kids. I think that this can be fun for all of us parents, and for the kids.

GOOD LUCK!!

Cardboard Boxes ?

When I was a child there was very few cardboard boxes because most things came in wooden boxes.
Velvetta cheese had great strips of thin wood that could be made in to as many things as your mind could dream up. Airplanes, houses, barns and many other things could be made if you had a coping saw.
My son has my wood Old Style beer box that was my toy box complete with the steel hinges on the lid.
Hey Ruggy did you have any of that peanut butter in a paper box wrapped in paper that Red Schenkel sold at Basleys meat market on 2nd street?

Fun with our kids?

Aussie brings up some very valid points. There have been many times I have failed w/ this. There have been other times I felt I succeeded.
In my household, I deal w/ the teen years & pre-teen years. That can be challenging. We play games/ we do crafts. We had a box from a refigerator. My grandaughters had many, many hours making it their playhouse.
I also feel the need to pull all of them away from the TV, video games, etc. After the loss of our precious dog, the desire in our household was to 'bury the grief in those very games/shows.'' Our response was to take our teen & grandaughters on a beautiful fall drive to Loud Thunder''. We had some arguments; we did it anyway. It was awesome! We ended up renting a boat, on the lake. The words & emotions shared were priceless to us all.
Another thing we have taken advantage of, that ALL ages appreciated, is the Comedy Sportz Club in Rock Island. It is a family-friendly place, open on Fri. & Sat. evenings. $8.00 tickets in advance; $10.00 @ the door. It is Improv Comedy, audience participation required! We all love it! Starts @ 7 pm, ends somewhere around 9:30 at the latest. Lots of laughs, bonding, etc.
They are only w/ us for a short time. We need to FORCE our kids to bond with us. They want it...they just don't know it yet. We are the adults...our job to make it happen; board games @ home or outside, whatever works. Put up with the negative attitude, the gripes, etc. Look your child in the eyes & tell them how much you love them & how much you miss bonding w/ them. Ask them for ''X'' amt. of ''family time.'' They may gripe; I think they secretly appreciate it & will ''hopefully'', one day share stories w/ their children about the times ''we MADE'' them do it...''and, in my perfect world..make their child do the very same?