Today there is much more focus on things. Children want things that they see on TV or are talked about by their friends. Parents are also eager to buy things for their kids - books, toys, cloths, shoes, video games (you get the point).
However, things such as these can't teach as much as various activities could teach us. So we, parents and teachers, need a plan to convert demand for things into suggestions for activities.
For example, if a child demands a plane or a car then, can he or she rather buy aero-modeling kit ? Instead of buying a foot-ball, can we put that money in football coaching ? Instead of buying computer games can that money be saved for a programing course ? Instead of buying cloths can that money be used to pay for summer camp ?
While things give you instant pleasure they don't usually build useful skills. On the other hand activities require a longer term involvement and commitment. While most things you can't carry around with you or won't last long, the skills you learn stay with you life-long.
Do we give such alternatives to children and teach them to choose activities over things ? We should be ready with a list of "to do" activities when the demand comes.
Which would you prefer - a kids saying "I know how to do this" or a kid saying "I have so many things" ?
No comments:
Post a Comment