Most Wanted - My Kid's Attention

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MOST WANTED - MY KID'S ATTENTION

If you have in any way raised kids, then you know exactly what I mean by the above statement.  That cute little bundle of joy that counts on you for everything, doesn't want you to leave him at daycare and stares at you with wild eyed amazement soon sees you as a money and feeding machine.  The number one question in my house is, "Mom what are we going to eat" followed by "Mom I need a new pair of something."

The tables have turned as the boys get older.  You see them physically drawing away from you, thinking that friends, girls, food and video games are more fun than being with parents.

In no way do I doubt the LOVE my boys have for me (looking forward to Mother's day).  The love is just expressed differently these days.

 I stayed home for seven years as the boys were growing up and spent so much time at play dates and museums.  This day and age there is so much more to capture their attention.  You see kids now in the mall or at restaurants.  They often don't even look up when you enter the room because their head is buried in some type of technological device.

 The seduction and allure of technology leads to a world of fantasy.  The NBA 2K'14 seems so real you think you are watching one of the NBA playoff games.  Each year video experts try to capture every emotion, sound and feel of a professional basketball game.  But it's not real. In their minds, the boys yell at the tv, make player substitutions and trade players just like a real owner of a team.


Here is a question for our younger audience:  What and how do we capture your attention?
Many kids struggle to focus in school because their minds are always involved in some type of interactive learning. The average child in the United States spends 5:11 hours per day watching tv (Source:BLS American Time Use Survey, A.C. Nielsen Co).  Teachers can't educate the same way they did 10 years ago because children comprehend and learn in a variety of ways.

The transition of childhood to teenager to adult is a roller coaster.  But I will still be intentional, as their mom, to make sure I find a way to positively engage the boys.  I try to love what they love - shoes, girls, basketball, music and yes, video games.  It doesn't always work but my heart realizes if I don't enjoy them and their toys, they will soon be gone.  Parents are still the number ONE influence on their children, that statistic remains the same.

This Mother's day, I will enjoy, if even for a few moments, having the uninterrupted attention from my boys.  Here's to breakfast in bed!

REMEMBER:  Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 11th

Leave us a comment and let us know the best way to capture a child/teenager's attention.  (Posted by Roslyn)

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