Playgound Principles

Most people would agree that denying a child everything he or she wants is healthy and encouraged. If children were given everything they desired, there would be a lot of toothless, obese, lazy, uneducated adults. Well, hopefully they would desire a few healthy alternatives, but it'd be a pretty spoiled society to say the least.

Why then do adults not deny themselves every natural inclination? Why do we get mad when things are taken from us? Why are we astounded when we don't get what we think we deserve? Why are we constantly thinking about how things will affect us? Why do we look first at ourselves in a photograph? Why are we quick to hold on to things we have deemed valuable in our lives?

There are many life lessons learned in infancy and childhood that seem to escape us in adolescence. That natural teenage rebellion seems to resurface when we begin making our own living. When we are no longer under the roof of our parents, something happens. We become rebellious towards God's discipline. We convince ourselves that we know best. We trust in the things we can see, whatever is in the here and now. We focus on planning for a comfortable retirement and a future we think we can control, rather than trusting our Father will provide for each of our days like we did as children. Kids don't (or sadly shouldn't) worry about where their next meal will come from or whether they'll ever have another fun day. They just assume these basic principles will continue. However, as adults, instead of enjoying every present moment, we lament over the difficult seasons and wish for a tomorrow of ease. We dream of our next vacation or time off. How is it that we can't see the connection between little one's need for discipline, the answer "no," or death to self and that of our own?

If more people practiced the basic principles of the playground, we may live in a more beautifully simplistic world filled with love, hope, and make believe.

Here's how we are enjoying our season-

Tower building

Vegetable garden- check

Now we need to build the fence to keep out the coyote roaming in our woods

Quiet learning time

Wood chip play (could do it all day)

The "foo foos" (aka finger puppets that were bought for Levi) are now part of the family.

Couldn't help but steal a lick.

Slowly making it to the big boy table.

I think Saturday mountain hikes should be a new part of our routine

Little sleeping Levi tried a new toddler formula (higher calorie) that he didn't throw up anymore than the baby stuff, so we'll start that. Plus we are seeing a couple new ENTs  this month, so please pray we continue to get good ideas for helping him get bigger and stronger.

Lots of love from the Smiths- living and playing and always drinking coffee.

~CubBuster