What did you value most as a child? What brought you happiness? What made you comfortable? What eased your anxiety? What helped satisfy your boredom? What calmed your fears?
My children have “Missy” and “Leo” for most of those situations. But what about the parents? I watching these kids interact with shouts of glee, enthusiasm, some rudeness, with passion and fervency.
I don’t remember the last time I shouted with glee, interacted with enthusiasm, (a little) rudeness, with passion or fervency. Well, maybe when the tax refund came, the last accident, or when the last power bill arrived. Not a lot of fun in those, but a lot of passion and fervency.
So what makes you happy, reduces stress, eases your fears, reduces anxiety, makes you comfortable, gives your daily life value? For my almost 5 and 2 year old, it’s a playground in McDonald’s on a hot June afternoon.
