March 15, 2012

Entertainment

It occurred to me today that I couldn't think of a single movie beginning with the letter E to talk about.  It also occurred to me that I couldn't think of a single book or movie.  Apparently I have an aversion to the letter E when it comes to my entertainment.  Luckily, "entertainment" is an E letter word!

But I'd like to get specific here:  entertaining children.  It's not as easy as it used to be.  I spent some time with my sister and her children yesterday and I kept hearing the mantra "there's nothing to do".  On a day that's 80 degrees in March there's nothing to do.  Not with a heaping mound of outside toys, a bunch of friends that want to play, nor with a plethora of ideas from parents and aunt alike was there "anything to do".

I used to be content with a stick, a jump rope, and my imagination.  Of course I likewise had video games, computer, and television, I didn't spend nearly half as much time on those things as I see kids doing today.  I can't help but feel like that's the failing of my generation.  We want our kids to play with the kinds of things that we enjoyed, but we forget about the moderation our parents enforced (usually).  At least my parents did.  But I also self-moderated and kind of still do (cough, Skryim, cough).

Bottom line:  I feel old talking about the differences between kids and my generation.  I'm sure it's not nearly so bad as it appears.  But kids should be made to go outside with sticks and their imagination if only to fuel their imagination in the first place.  S'all I'm saying.

1 comment: