Play Time Under Attack?

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." -Prov 17:22 (NASB)

Ok, so I'm finally in the category of parents who actually use the phrase, "when I was a kid..."! I'm serious , though. When I was growing up, Atari and eventually Nintendo were JUST coming out, we still had a monster satellite dish in the back yard (which you needed about seven descrambler boxes just to watch), and we recorded songs and audio clips on cassette tapes and filmed videos on VHS with a camera big enough for the networks to use! So what did we do with all of this stuff? We got creative. Yes, there were days of lying around and watching movies and playing video games- but they were few and far between. I remember when I was growing up, my best friend Jeff Collins and I would make all sorts of funny videos, record songs on my tape recorder, and shovel off the snow in the driveway so we could shoot hoops. We would play games of HORSE, have home run derbies with wiffle balls, and make our best attempts at learning how to skateboard. Yes, I may have broken a few bones and once even plummeted 15 feet out of a tree into a swamp, but we were having FUN!

So where am I going with all of this, other than down nostalgia lane? Here's my point: I recently read an article explaining how our children's play time is currently under attack. In the last decade or two, children have lost approximately 12 hours a week of unsupervised recreational play time! I'm not talking about school sports, intramural leagues, and camps of all sorts. No, I am talking about letting them go outside and explore the world like we used to do (even if it means eating a worm or two). Before I go any further, I will agree with many of you on one thing: the world definitely IS a different place than when we were growing up. It's rare to think of our kids playing out in the woods until dark nowadays, walking down the street alone, or letting them go over to other kid's house where we may or may not know the parents that well. The world has changed, and often not for the better- I get that. Believe me when I say that I would NEVER substitute my daughter's safety for a little extra "fun" on her behalf. What I'm saying is that we need to let our kids be kids, and possibly even reintroduce them to some of the things we did at their age. Turn the TV off more often, set time frames on things like Facebook, phone usage, and video games. Challenge your kids to get up and go explore the huge world of opportunities that God has laid out before them! Yes, I'm sure you may have resistance on their part, but in some ways, it's not their fault. Our kids often do not know about such great adventures and times that are available for them, because WE (our generation, that is) have created a virtual world for them that requires very little face to face contact with each other. Kids don't have to be themselves when they're online, plus they can play football (on an Xbox or PS3) all day long and not even break a sweat. It is reasons such as these, combined with countless more that limit our children on their cognitive and creativity skills, physical strength and health, confidence, and so on.

I'm not trying to be a downer here. In fact, I actually hope that I stirred up some great old memories for you! As I mentioned above, we may even have to introduce them to some of these activities. I have taught my daughter the art of diving in a pile of leaves, we have had water fights with the hose, and of course- I am her favorite tackling dummy. As parents, we need to "let go of the reigns" as it be, but naturally still keep our children's safety at priority number one. Yes, it may be hard for us to break our molds as well. I'm sure many of you (myself included) have gotten very comfortable in our nice and cozy little world we've created. We surely wouldn't want to drag mud on the new tile in the hallway, would we? Hmmm... Maybe that's EXACTLY what we DO need! Come on, dad...let's go for it. Make the most of these precious times with your kids, no matter what their age. Hey, the bigger they are, the more competitive the games will be, right? I challenge you to take advantage of these times for every one's sake. One day our kids will be grown and gone, and we will have missed out on some of the greatest times God has ever blessed us with. Plus, our kids will grow into more confident adults and leaders, and I'm sure we will flourish as well. As always, seek guidance through God's Word and prayer for opportunities to grow yourself as a father, and be sure to glorify Him at the end of the night for such a great day of play! (I would suggest, however, keeping the worms out of every one's diet as much as possible.) Have fun!!!