Monday, Boys & Play Guns

Monday, Monday... After a very hot weekend, running around gathering Teaching Supplies, School Supplies, and Yard Work, we have gathered back together to start a new week. My house is the house to be. Kids knock on the door all morning (they know now to stay away between 1 & 3), wondering if the kids can play.

The neighborhood gathered to form a war game, there are a lot of boys in the neighborhood. They ran and played for over an hour. I was so busy watching and enjoying the communication, problem solving, and camaraderie, I forgot to take photos. Oh, well.

It is interesting how boys love to play war. They spend time coming up with teams, problems to be solved, rules and boundaries. They gather supplies, ammo (invisible this time, sometimes Nerf ammo though) and an arsenal of play guns. Mostly Nerf, but tree branches have been known to make it into the mix a time or two. Then off they go, to happily "kill" one another.

Now, as a Mom to 4 boys, I went through the stage of my home being a "No Gun" Zone. I wanted to raise sensitive and non-violent sons. I wouldn't even have squirt guns. My husband thought I was crazy, the ol' "I grew up playing war, and I turned out ok" saying was played over and over again. One day, I was watching, my then 3 yr old twins, take their Little People and set up a battle between them. Another day, we were outside and they took their medicine droppers and were shooting water at each other, screaming, "I Get You, I Get You!!" This moved up to tree branches that turned to guns. Did my kids watch war movies?? No. Did I promote killing, maiming, or terrorizing in my home?? No. Did the girls next door play that way?? No. Yet, here were my young boys doing everything I was trying to keep them from knowing about. Huh.

I researched, I read books, I talked to other parents. I realized that most boys tend to go through this phase. That it is a part of evolution, teaching our boys to be men. To get them ready to be a provider for their family. Sometimes it can be about working through emotions and things they have seen or heard. I decided that instead of pretending these emotions and feelings didn't exist, I would take a proactive approach. I would talk to them, role play, set boundaries, and give them the ability to feel confident and comfortable to act out these actions. Maybe that is why they can play guns for an hour with the neighborhood kids and then in the next hour sit and have tea with the Little's at Daycare.

I don't know the right answer to this. Guns or No Guns. I don't criticize anyone who doesn't allow gun play, it is their children. My children are respectful of friends who can't play. I just make sure all my families know that play guns are in my home. No real ones, but plenty of play ones. We don't play war games in preschool, at least not with the Nerf Guns, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist outside in the yard. At least once a day one of the preschool boys picks up a stick and uses it as a sword or a gun, sometimes it turns into a group game, other times it is just that one child running around conquering pretend dinosaurs or bad guys. So, the circle continues.

Summer & Boys

These past few weeks, with my own school aged children home, I have been experiencing a period of brain freeze. I love that my daycare children have access to all sorts of materials, that they can delve into the joys of mud, sand and water, the wonders of bubbles are magical and dynamic... not so with BIG KIDS.

I have found that putting out play dough, goop, slime, etc... is fun for about 10 seconds. The sprinkler is fodder for many, many silly antics and jokes. Board games are great... until someone decides to change the rules. When asked to find something to do... It is always to hot, to cold, to much, not enough or just plain boring!! My summer is getting to be very long :)

I was looking through some photos from last summer, and the kids all were so engaged... I am realizing that these BIG KIDS need to be challenged a little more. I decided to start with putting out the slime, but they had to make it. Read the recipe, gather the material and equipment, and finish the project. They loved it. It made it there own and like the cornstarch and water goop last week, they loved working with the Little's. (And it gave me 25 minutes of no whining)

BIG KIDS need to be challenged, given risks, and opportunities just like the daycare kids, but at a different level. This is my first summer that the BIG KIDS didn't WANT to be outside playing, running, water balloon fights, relay races or group games. So, I am scouring the Internet for ideas that will bring together 6 boys ranging from 4 to 12. Opportunities for modeling behavior, problem solving, sharing, communication, and leadership. There are so many ideas out there, now just to sort them out and find a place to begin...

Boys, Boys, Boys

I have had my 4 day weekend, I got one of my little ones back. He had a haircut to smile over. It was gone... all of it. The peach fuzz left on his head was so cute I had to rub it like a Buddha Belly :) I couldn't stop myself from touching his head every time I passed him. I had to keep putting sunscreen on it so he wouldn't get a sunburn :) Oh, it was tooo cute.

We didn't get out the paint, we didn't get out the crayons... we didn't even get into the mud, what a surprise. What we did do was get back into the swing of things .Our day was spent staying wet, to stay cool and hanging out. Figuring out how our days will be with 3 School Age Kids around. What rules can be bent, or disregarded?? What rules should be invented for just the right moment. How will the 12 yr olds interact with the 4 yr olds?? I am lucky to have such great kids... both my own and the daycare kids.

They get along great, the big kids include the Little's in almost everything they do. My biggest "problem" is that they are all boys :) Yup, you heard right, all boys. So, if you can imagine the running, wrestling, chasing, jumping, climbing, pretend shooting, and the noise... oh, the noise sometimes :) That is what my summer will be. A glorious, wonderful, superb Boy Pandemonium!!! Oh, we will have Little Miss M for a week this summer, and what a week it will be... quiet, tea parties, babies, strollers... I will have to take photos of the big kids playing with her. It is a sight that actually brings me to tears (of Mama Pride). They are so good with the babies.

So, I will keep you posted on how our Boy Summer goes... I think it will be extra special this year.

2 Steps Back... 4 Steps Forward

Just a few photos of the kids yesterday... it was a busy day, but we got through it and even had some cute moments to look back on!! I have figured out that my group is going through a growth spurt. It seems whenever they are ready to make some leaps or bounds in any area... social, emotional, physical, intellectual... we take 2 or 3 steps backwards first... then we take that huge 5 or 6 leaps forward. I know I learned about it in college the fancy reasons why, but as a Mom/Teacher I have seen it so many times. I am thankfully starting to see it and realize what is happening before I go crazy though. Then I can have the patience to help guide them through it.

I remember when my oldest boys were little I would be pulling my hair out because they would be behaving in a way that they knew was unacceptable, yet did it they did!! I would be disciplining them, redirecting them, and right when I thought I couldn't take it anymore it was over... not only over but they were learning new things and applying them to their daily life. Being considerate of each other (as much as twins can), being gentle with the little brothers, putting toys away, Oh, you know what I mean.

So, I have decided that this has to be what is going on with my Daycare Gang right now. We have been having some very simple, basic issues... ones that I thought we had gotten awhile back. We have been having to practice putting our toys away (in the right spots), using our words and not our hands, listening to each others words, etc... now I am patiently waiting for the day that I don't have to remind, redirect, and discipline on a minute by minute basis.... okay I exaggerate... but you know what I mean :)

I do know that the day will come though. So for now we will enjoy the process of growing up, taking from it all the wonderful bits and pieces that make us who we are. I am glad to be the one to help them, because as Kristin says over at Preschool Daze...Her "Greatest Passion Is Saving The Dignity of Each Child" (You can find it in her W is for Welcome on right hand side of her blog) Oh, how eloquently put. It puts goosebumps on my arms every time I read it or think it, for I know what she means. This period of time in my Gang's life can be such an enriching one or one that could cause pain, humility and/or sadness. It is not only my job, but my passion to make sure my Gang has an enriching, loving & secure experience.

Now that I got that off my chest :) I will show you a few of our moments yesterday...

Is this too cute or what... a Princess & Her Pig. LOVE IT!!!

She picked the spot to be "photographed"

Little Miss being helpful :)

My Princess making some cinnamon toast for breakfast... Another Great Helper!!

Star Ornament

Glue Ornament... opps, I mean another Star Ornament

I wish I had gotten a picture of it at the end, it had ALOT of glue

A Conversation Between 2 Boys

This morning we had an issue with two boys and 3 shake-n-go cars...

boy 1: I want the fast one
boy 2: Sorry I got it first
boy 1: But I put it down first, I want it now
boy 2: UM... well I have it and I want it
boy 1: You have 2
boy 2: You will have 2, too
boy 1: So
boy 2: I want 2
boy 1: You can't have 2 if I don't have 2
boy 2: but you want 2
boy 1: So
boy 2: Shell, he wants 2, but I want 2
Shell: "Well, how can we solve this?"
boy 1: Give me the car
boy 2: NO!!
Shell: "I guess you both want the car"
boy 1: Yes, I had it first
boy 2: Shell!!!
boy 1: Well, I just want the fast 1
boy 2: Oh, here you can have the FAST one
Shell: "I'm glad you figured that out boys"
boy 2: Yeah, he only wanted the fast one
boy 1: Yeah, now I have 2 and you have 1
boy 2: (looks down at his hands, kinda figures out he's been duped, and shrugs his shoulders) So, I'm gonna play with the blocks anyway
boy 1: NO!! I want the blocks!!

I think it's going to be one of those days :)