I love playing outside with my kids because you get to observe and experience things through their eyes. Many things that I would overlook or not find amazement in, provide my kids with tremendous excitement and joy. To be able to experience that by extension is an absolute blessing. Both our children love the outdoors and, weather permitting, spend hours outside each day.
But there is a problem. My son. He does not pay attention to where he is walking....EVER. The poor kid is so engrossed with whatever he is observing or chasing or playing with that he often trips, falls, runs into stationary objects, etc. It would be funny if it weren't so dangerous. (Yes, I realize all kids do this to some extent, but admittedly my son seems to do this a little more than most). I remind him constantly to watch where he is walking, to keep his head up, to not walk forward while he is looking backwards. Doesn't make a difference. The kid is focused, just not on where he is walking. I don't want to squash his intensity or his natural curiosity and ability to become fully engrossed in whatever captivates his attention. But I would also like to put an end to the excessive head injuries the poor kid continues to receive.
So, seriously how do you get your kid to stop spending so much time looking at the bugs, and rocks, and dirt, and flowers and start looking at the wall he is about to crack his head open on or the rock he is about to trip over or fall on? Discuss.
1 comment:
That's a tough one, because you don't want to be hovering over his every move and squash his curiosity, while at the same time his safety is paramount. I guess in certain situations, you have to be right at his side, guiding him and other times let him learn on his own? Oh, I guess they don't say boys are made of "frogs and snails and puppy dog tails" for nothing!
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