Help them Emerge from their cocoon!
TIME TO EMERGE!
A teacher recently remarked, “our kids are shrinking! They are used to hiding behind masks, and now they continue to shrink into themselves.” We have had them all wrapped up in a cocoon-like existence. How can we help our children Emerge?
Touch! For months and months, we have told our kids, “Don’t touch!” We taught them to watch out for germs and to sanitize their hands—which are good things to learn. But now, we have to let them touch again! Share a very soft stuffed animal or blanket to let them enjoy. Give them all kinds of sensory experiences that they missed out on when we had to be so careful! Try a petting zoo, and encourage them to pet safe animals in the neighborhood.
Run and Play! Encourage kids to get outside. Help them have means and reasons to run outside and enjoy the out of doors. Remind them that it’s okay to play with other kids now, and so they can invite others over!
Pretend! Help your kids to be on stage! Provide dress up clothes, or pretend foods, or legos, or ideas. Remember the Dad who played pirates with his young boy, til the mom told them, “the princess is sleeping” and they quieted their game? Mom and Dad, you have it in you to pretend to be flamingos or Superman or a pink monster! Set your kids free to “be” lots of things and come up with all kinds of imaginary scenarios! These bright kids have it in them, to imagine—they just need permission, and a jump start!
Take them to the Store! Many of us have learned that it’s easier to order our groceries delivered. But kids learn so much at the store! Let them go to the grocery store again. Let them explore the produce and the cans of stuff they haven’t heard of. Buy one of two of those for them to taste!
Let them learn about money—which brand is less expensive, or why you chose the healthier item.
Cook! Once in awhile—or once a week, Let kids try a Little Cooking! When kids choose the meal, then help cook it, they more readily eat it! They learn about measuring and mixing and serving others. And they appreciate Mom or Dad more!
Experience Something New! There are all kinds of new things they can explore! Help them find some, in your own backyard or at the park. Did they catch the new blossoms and the baby fruit that’s growing? Did they find a cool spider web or a extra smooth rock? There’s so much out there to help them experience.
Ask away! Let a child ask all the questions they think of! Whenever you possibly can, don’t squelch their interests or put off your explanation.
Help things grow! Let the kids water the flowers, plant some seeds, or pick some weeds. Let them help things grow. It’s a good way to learn long-term rewards for one’s effort.
Say yes! Whenever you can, let them try their scheme or do something off the wall! Even if you have to say no for now, tell them, “Yes, you can do that, in just a little while, as soon as I can help you get started.” (See also: Be a Yes Mom!)
Those masks our kids wore served a very important purpose, but now that we can put them aside. Let’s let our kids make up for the mask years.
They must emerge from their cocoons, so they can be butterflies!