Ideas for, "There's nothing to do."

by Dr. Marian Fritzemeier, Ed.D. ©2014

Author, Speaker, Educator

 

                Summer's beginning. It won't be long until your kids' whine, "There's

nothing to do."

                But don't sweat it; here are ten summer fun activities that will keep

your children occupied.

1.      Pitch a tent in the backyard and camp with Smokey the Bear

2.     Plant seeds and grow healthy vegetables to harvest and cook. I just planted sunflowers for the birds to eat this fall.

3.      Take old bread to the park and feed the birds.

4.      Sprinklers are a forgotten play activity with so many yards watered automatically. With water shortages, turn off automatic sprinklers. Parents can easily adapt water volume for small children or bigger kids.

5.     Nature scavenger hunt. Identify items for children to find. They can draw what they find, mark it off a list, or take photos of each item.

6.      Remember sidewalk chalk. Lets children express their creativity and washes off easily.

7.     Dig in the dirt with shoes off. Shovels, water, containers, and trucks provide lots of fun. Hose down children when done! This is one of my grandson's favorite activities. I keep a dirt area in the yard just for mud play.

8.       Tricycle/Bicycle Derby. Decorate bikes. Bike races by age groups. When we did this in our neighborhood, a boy in a wheel chair participated too.  

9.       Pets on Parade. Gather the pets, dress them up, and have a parade on your sidewalk. (Cats and dogs on leashes.)

10.   Don't forget Flag Day on June 14th. Buy flags from a dollar store. Children create instruments such as drums, shakers, and tambourines. Then form a parade on your neighborhood sidewalks.

Image from: Stock.XCHNG www.sxc.hu/  sun flower 1442107 by  Greeber.

100 Year Anniversary of Mother's Day and Attachment

by Dr. Marian Fritzemeier, Ed.D.

Author, Speaker, Educator

 

Did you know that 2014 is the 100th anniversary of mother's day?

 

Two weeks ago, Lois M. Collins, from the Deseret News National Edition, interviewed me about attachment and mothers. The part of the article I'm quoted in is below.

 

Follow the link to read the entire article.

 

Mother's Day 100-Year History

 

In the 19th century, Americans began what Matt calls a "sentimentalization of mothers," who were featured lovingly in songs and stories and heavily celebrated for their virtue. "It began a new focus on mother love, warmth and tender ties."

Mothers were noted for power to encourage kids to grow into good, pious citizens. Focus tightened on mother-child relationships. And Mother’s Day is a modern tale of love and attachment.

Author, speaker and child development specialist Marian Fritzemeier of Modesto, California, has two adult daughters and three grandchildren who will likely honor her with cards and small gifts, as well as a get-together and dinner. They'll juggle the timing of the actual celebration so that her kids' spouses can also celebrate with their moms.

She believes that a child's very future hinges on developing secure relationships and strong emotional bonds. Mother is often among if not the first place those bonds form.

"Attachment is an emotional bond between an infant and a caring adult. It means somebody is responding consistently to the infant," Fritzemeier said. Cries attract someone to figure out what's wrong, whether it's hunger, a need to be burped or stimulated or changed, or just a familiar and loving voice. Moms are often that early primary caregiver, she noted.

Strong, healthy attachment "provides a foundation for life, not just in infancy, but adolescence and into adulthood," she said.

At home, Fritzemeier is surrounded by trinkets and pictures her children have made her. "You don't have to spend a lot of money. A lot of families don't have it. Mother's Day can be breakfast in bed, a meal together, perhaps a barbecue," she said. Pick flowers from your yard or ask to pick your neighbor's.