Buzz Kill
Since the announcement of Scott Weiland’s death, I have been listening non-stop to Stone Temple Pilots, and loud. So that means, if I’m listening, my little constant companion is listening as well. Most of the time I have been listening in the car because that is where my CD player is located. Yup, I said CD player. While caught up in the nostalgia of Crackerman and reminiscing of a time when I was younger, thinner and consistently under the influence (a.k.a. much cooler than I am now), I was reminded of the time I saw STP in concert. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen and that memory drowned me in a wave of intoxication.
Suddenly I looked up at my mini rearview mirror (you know the supplemental ones parents place on the inside of the windshield of the car in order to watch their children’s every move), and noticed my son with a sober expression on his face and his little fingers in his tiny seven year-old ears.
“Oh, I’m sorry my love.” I said while turning the music down, “Is it too loud?”
Now that we could hear each other again, our conversation got its second wind. I’m not sure what I was expecting as an answer, but obviously Azul was not in the same place I was.
Looking back at me in the pint-sized mirror with a crinkled nose, he said, “I’m just not really into Country music.”
Intergalactic Laughter
Bath time now has two new themes, the first is Lush bath bombs and the second is inappropriate conversation. I cherish them both. If you have never tried bath bombs, you should, they smell and look amazing, and are just awesome in every way. And if you have not participated in a dialogue with your child, you should try that as well, kids can be thoroughly entertaining.
This past Bath Night (this is a thing, he has them twice a week whether he needs it or not), Azul my seven year-old tried a new bomb called Intergalactic. It is cool! Before dissolved, it looks like outer space and then when dissolved in water, it turns the bath a bright blue and has glitter that makes the water looks like it has little stars floating in it.
While in the tub talking about the solar system and planets (that’s not the inappropriate part) I said to my son, “I don’t see Uranus, but I do see your penis.” (That’s when it got entertaining.) And we both laughed!
When the laughter subsided, I asked, “You know why that’s funny, right?”
And of course he did saying, “Yeah, Uranus is in the night sky, but your penis is his cousin!” I don’t care what galaxy you’re from, that’s funny! We both cracked-up again.
This is how it looks, not Uranus or his cousin, but the tub water.
The Kindness Card Project
There has been so much negativity floating around lately, it makes it hard not to be discouraged, but as a parent you can’t give up. Our (yes, OUR) children depend on us, they look to us for cues on behavior, they watch our actions and then learn from them. In this fog of pessimism, this is the perfect time to show some positivity, and with Thanksgiving and the Holidays right around the corner, offering thanks and gratitude can actually be fun for kids. It is also a much needed learning experience for adults caught up in the act of constant criticism.
This has been one of my favorite projects, it not only makes kids feel good, but it makes others feel good too. How can you go wrong with that!?! It has many different names, Gratitude Card, Pay-it-forward Card, and others, but we call it a Kindness Card. No matter what you call it, the idea is basically the same. You unsolicitedly and anonymously do something nice for someone and then leave the card.
First, have your child make the cards they will be handing out. The cards can be on index cards, blank note cards or even a piece of paper cut into sixths. After preparing the cards, get the crayons and markers out and let their imagination go wild. Coloring and decorating is always a fun activity for kids and they get to learn and write out the words, “kindness” and “card.” Bonus vocabulary and spelling lesson!
Next, talk with your child about things they can do for someone else. It doesn’t have to be a present or anything that requires money, it can just be a thoughtful action.
Then, let them come up with a list of people they want to receive their Kindness Cards.
And last, follow through and give out the cards. You may want to make and distribute some Kindness Cards too.
My seven year-old, Azul, got to work on his right away. I could see his thought process from the expression on his face, intense but also content. He was determined to complete this project, and the anticipation of doing something nice for someone else seemed to make him happy as well. While he was working, I was told to, “look away,” immediately revealing that in my future I would receive a Kindness Card.
A few days later when he gave his creation of thankfulness to me, he took on the role of Fin Mc Missile from Cars; in a crouching position, he snuck around the kitchen counter, I saw a small hand come up, like the scope of a submarine coming out of the ocean water, the delivery of the card took place and then he immediately retreated to the living room. Although he was in stealth mode, I watched the entire process in my own undetected stealth behavior. I could actually hear the Mission Impossible theme playing in my head.
I of course announced my discovery, “Hey I just found a Kindness Card!” Azul glanced up from his seemingly innocent activity with a look of satisfaction and replied, “It’s from me!” I thanked him, told him I loved it, and gave him a big hug. His act of kindness in turn inspired my act of gratitude and we were both happy.
Sometimes kids have a hard time understanding anonymity, after all they do like getting recognized for their good behavior, we’ve taught them that, and that’s okay. If they want to give Grandma and Grandpa the card and say it’s from them, so be it. The lesson they take away from giving kindness is greater than that of keeping it to themselves!
Carmelina Hart 