Personal think that religion is personal journey for each and every individual to be take a their own time or pace or not at all. For kids though some instruction may be necessary, especially in the understanding and comprehension of the work and faith as a whole. To share a story with you we lost our dog to a kidney failure, poor little scotty.
To explain to our 4 and 2 year what happened we explained that *holly* (dog) was sick and was going to live at the vet and not come home. Well a week later we got a puppy called Sandy, now I left one afternoon to take her to the vet the kids went berserk as they were afraid she was not going to come home like holly, so I took them with to make sure. While we were there Skye – 4 years old – pipes up ad says hey dad while we here can we visit holly. Well um no – so not sure waht to say I thought the best straight forward approach would be the blatant truth, I said no she is dead. Oh my what a backlash at the vet, we took a few hours after that to explain that Holly had gone to heaven and that she was ok….
That night when it was time to prey, Skye started his prayer with:
“dear Jesus and Holly….”
Wow the joy of xmas would never be the same without experiencing it with kids, your own or others. It is such a special time of year, the reason for xmas is to remember the birth of our lord Jesus Christ and together with this the celebration of exchanging gifts. The kids had an absolute ball running around to past 9 pm last nite – it does now ever not make them sleep later in the morning – pity. The one comment I really did ant to make is noting that it is clear that some of the toy producers are certainly parents. The toys come in their own plastic box, ok it may not sound like much however it really is fantastic as it keeps all the toys together. There were dozens of various presents that I noticed yesterday that were like this. The little tool set, the art set and the tent. Thanx guys! There is nothing more *messy* and disorganized than receiving a 50 piece toy or the likes that battles to pack away in anything once the box is thrown away.
Generally I really enjoy xmas shopping for the boys there is such great presants and ideas to get them. We are however finding as they are growing up we need to get them similar toys or there is hell for leather in the household. So today off we went to Toys R Us. Ok once you get around the crappy broken boxes they seem to have on their shelves they really do have some gems. OK maybe a tad harsh on the packaging however I was disappointed finding this great *cars* racing set to learn it was their last one, the box was ripped and open so there was no guarantee all the stuffing was there if you know what I mean. We certainly were in a fortune position to spend aprox R500 on each of our kids. This is over and above the wii we bought which is a family present overly enjoyed by the parents- that however is another post all on its own. While walking around the store and investigating what they had I felt there was a void for a decent present at a decent price, our price being around R500. They have an excellent selection for R200 and under with great toys and items ranging from R15 to R150. Then we seemed to hit a brick wall and then saw toys in excess of R1000. So we ended up getting a few smaller present which for the ages of 2 and 4 is probably ideal so lets see how it goes on xmas day.
Note to Toys R Us – Guys if the boxes are broken and not 100% then move it away from the main shelves and create a bargain section – even Hamleys in London has a bargain section. Apart from that thumbs up for what affordable presents! – Thank you.
Wow how can you curb it?
The little guys really need to learn to do things themselves however it really reaches a point where it is seriously annoying. A general example would be watching them put in bubble bath into the bath – end result almost half the bottle ends in the bath before you can catch the bottle again, or maybe using shampoo – similar function and result. There are two more classics – food – pouring drinks, we invest in paper towels as we go through a ton, the 2nd is not finishing their food, they want more and more when dishing up and tantrums fly when they do not get enough however every time they generally never finish what is dished up for them. Going to restaurants are another classic example – order food they do not want to share – so get their own plates and trues nuts they do not finish their food, doggies bags here we come. It really is frustrating and one of the things I am seriously working on, you see one realy do not want to be a hoverer over your kids however you do want to curb the wastage that accurs. Maybe it is my upbringing having parents that had very little during the war, either way I fully conform to it and find wastage unacceptable – so will keep working on it definitely over the xmas period.
You know with any restaurant you can get good or bad service – at spur it really can be a lucky packet. Regardless though the kiddies play area is great! I am sure as the my kids grow up and when they start playing computer games they will enjoy the spur more. It is great to be able to site close to the play area and enjoy a meal while the kids run riot. The small pleasures in life – enjoy them. At the spur the child minders can be over worked on busy days however again it is the luck of the draw similar to their service levels. Regardless it is great that as parents one is able to go to a restaurant where the kids are so well catered for. Thank you Spur!
The shopping list for any parent can be fairly daunting with the arrival of a new addition to their family. Cots, bedding, prams, nappies – the list just goes on and on. Just want to add something to that list for any parent and any future parent. When looking at what you need add to that a KING SIZE BED – extra length is a bonus. The reasoning is when you have children and I am sure those of you that read this can agree and sympathize – it is common practice – well for our family anyway – that when a little one is sick or having a bad night they end up in the bed with you. This is not easy on a normal double bed and can really constrict your sleeping arrangements making an already difficult night completely unbearable. OK it is not a total solution however believe me it does help! You see even if you had a double double king size I am sure the nightly rustlings and turnings of a restless child in your bed will effect that quest for a decent nights sleep however the king size goes along way to assist you in the quest!
So if you shopping for a bed or making a listof what you would love – add a KING SIZE BED to the list!
At this time of the year I would like to remind all parents – including myself – that this is a vulnerable time of the year for everyone. More so the little kiddies around the pool and traveling long distances in the car. Through out my upbring I was told that children are a gift from God. This has truely made sense when I received my own kids. Cherish them and please look after them. Take the extra 2 minutes and strap them in properly in the car. Have your drink etc where you can keep an eye on your kids. Admittedly I had a scare not once but twice this year when I had to fish my toddler out of the pool. Yes we were lucky, very lucky, please heed this as a lesson not only for me but for all of us this festive season. There are many parents who will be without loved ones and children this year for a variety of reasons. Think of them and thank the lord for the gift you have. Look after it with everything that you are. Be aware of your child and be very aware that they can be taken away from you in a split second. Be aware – if you are traveling this year strap the little ones in – take time in getting to your destination and Arrive alive. These are true words, hear them and listen to them and let them ring in your head not only when you start your journey but for the whole trip, to your destination and back home again.
Be AWARE!
One only has to read one simple article to see how bad the situation can be for some kids in this our own country – South Africa:
Parents locking their children inside the house with no supervision, food or liquids and going partying at weekends. Parents who would “forget” their children, often between the ages of 5 and12, in shebeens. A seven-year-old Motherwell, Port Elizabeth girl raped several times by a relative early this year. Six cases of unattended minors at The Boardwalk in Port Elizabeth since January. They include children left in cars and others left alone. A 10-year-old Soweto-on-Sea, Port Elizabeth boy sodomised by a neighbour and left mentally disturbed. A newborn boy locked in a cupboard in Port Elizabeth’s Dora Nginza Hospital by his mother two years ago. Hospital social worker Pamela Rubushe said there had been two incidents of abandonment so far this year.
Source
This makes one think, why have kids in the first place? Is it due to the fact that contraception is not necessary and cheaper in the short run than looking after a child for the rest of your life? With free condoms and the likes it seriously is crazy. This brings up a point should the population rate not be curbed in certain areas? If contraception is a costly burden or a nuisance then how about the following?:
Incentive sterilization -
It is a know fact that often parents have kids to get a hand out from government, right? So lets turn it around. If a child support grant is R240 a month – lets say the child stays on the grant with no increase to the age of 18 years old. This means the grant would be worth aprox R51 840 in 18 years per child, I believe that this would not stop there – if a family would have 2 or 3 kids then this amount is just doubled etc. So lets sterilize the nation and incentivize it while we are doing it. So instead of having a child to get a R240 hand out each month make it a lump sum payout of lets say R3500 – for a women or a man. Procreation is evenly contributed to by both sexes…
This would not only save the country millions in the long run it would lessen the burden of child cruelty in our nation!
Being a parent has many precious moments – kids really have a mind of their own. here is my last born saying “I want to be a diver”
Precious!
In an attempt to amuse my 9-month-old daughter, I discovered that my baby is terrified of remote control cars! I have never seen someone freak out so much at the sight of a Ferrari zooming in their direction before
And today we discovered that there is something else my babe is scared of….cats! We went for a playdate to visit darling little Amy. We were welcomed by two kitties and you should have seen Miss H react – she was petrified! This poor child hung onto me for dear life. She refused to be left on the floor incase a furry friend strolled her way. When she finally decided it was safe to be at floor level, she screamed blue murder when she mistook poor Amy crawling towards her for a kitty!
sigh…my poor little scaredy CAT
