This morning, I had to take my van in for a tune up. Instead of having my husband meet me there and drive me home, I decided to walk home with my two boys (8 and 5). It was about 15 blocks through a suburban neighborhood and a beautiful sunny summer morning.
At first, the boys complained. "My feet hurt", "How much farther?", "Are we ever going to get there?". But after a few minutes, they got caught up in all the flowers and wildlife we saw. They would say hi to people watering their lawns and talked about the garage sales that were just getting set up. I deliberately took the smaller roads rather than the busy ones.
We had a chance to talk about what we saw. Passing by some 4th of July colored balloons led to a conversation about the holiday and what the United States means. We walked past a section of road being repaved and we watched the backhoe tearing up the asphalt and the roller driving by. We discussed whether the black and white creature in the shadows was a cat or a raccoon or a skunk.
We arrived home, pleasantly tired but also filled with energy to start the day. So if your kids are bored, take a walk to the store, or the park or just around your neighborhood. Friday mornings are especially good because it is a big garage sale day. You could even make it a tradition to take some pocket money and see what you bring back.
Jess in Oregon
