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Health & Fitness

2011 vs.1973: What's wrong with a little down time?

A Day in the Life

I got to thinking this week about how we over schedule our kids. I suppose we're thinking that if our 10-year- old has five minutes with nothing on his schedule, he's going to knock over a gas station to get drug money. 

Exactly when did we push that panic button? Well, somewhere along the line we pushed it, so now we have scheduled play dates, GPS enabled smart phones and activities galore. Sometimes we seem to do everything for our kids except connect with them. Here's an exaggerated look at:

A Day in the life of an average 10-year-old in Massapequa on the Saturday before Memorial Day circa. 2011

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Wake up: 10:00am.

10:00-11:00am:Check Facebook, Email, Texts, XBox Live Modern Warfare, eat Granola Bar for breakfast.

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11:00am: Karate Lesson.

12:00-1:00pm: Lunch at Panera Bread.

1:00-1:45pm: Japanese language Lesson.

2:00-3:00pm: Hitting Lesson with ex-pro. instructor.

3:00-4:00pm: Math Tutor at the library.

4:00pm: Snack on the way to baseball double-header: Rice Cake & Fiji Water.

4:30-7:30pm:  "Memorial Weekend Classic" Baseball Tournament.

7:45-8:00pm: Car Ride home from baseball for quality time with parents.

8:00-10:00pm: Magnet Program Homework.

10:00-11:00pm: XBox Live Modern Warfare.

11:00pm Surf web then Bed.

 

A Day in the life of an average 10-year-old in Massapequa on Saturday Before Memorial Day circa.1973 

Wake Up: 7:00am.

7:00-8:00am: Bugs Bunny, Road Runner and Fruitloops, Lucky Charms or Count Chocula.

800am: Leave house on bike (sans helmet) and call for friends.

8:00-12:00pm: Wiffle ball with neighborhood kids.

12:00pm:  come home for Lunch (pb&j with chocolate milk).

12:30pm-until street lights come on: more Wiffleball with a broken but taped up ball, drink from the hose, eat ice pops.

8:00pm-Bed:  Hang out at home with family.

 

Do you all remember that big blackout the east coast had about 8 years ago? Everything was knocked out. Going outside was eerie! It was so quiet. And it was so cool. We took flashlights and went for a "scary" walk around the block. The kids absolutely loved it. They always talk about that night as if it was special.

How many random nights do your kids say: "Remember that time when I played XBox live with my friends?" or "Remember that time we watched show after show on TV and barely said a word to each other?" How about...never. When there's a blackout, there's nothing to do but connect with your family. It's a beautiful thing.  Since that blackout, every once in a while we pretend we have a blackout. The kids ask for it. We turn off all the lights, televisions, cell phones and video games.

We light candles and talk. Then we talk some more. Then we try to play board games but it's usually too dark, so we talk even more. It's the ultimate down time off-the-grid experience. It helps us reconnect. We're plugged in to what they're nervous about, or excited about, or looking forward to or glad they're finished with. We're plugged into who their friends are. What music they like. And suddenly all that stuff like running from activity to activity doesn't seem so important anymore. But the conversations are priceless. 

What's wrong with a little down time? (and drinking from the hose once in a while?)

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