Need some advice...For my kids

by Jon Preston 25 Replies latest jw friends

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  Jon Preston

  Since being out mentally and missing meetings my children mention people from the hall and i cant help but feel bad that they are missing the association. My daughters are 4 and 2 and we live in a small town with not a whole lot to do. What activities did you do with your kids? We go to the park and go for walks with our dog. But since becoming a witness i was loaded down and didnt give them enough time and attention....and i dont wanna miss out. We have monday night family reading and crafts at our library so maybe thats a start. My daughter starts pre K in august and id like to start preparing her more for whats to come. Any ideas? My goal is to be an all around better father and really put in the time that used to be taken up with real quality time with the kids and my wife.

  i think this may be the real reason for the funk ive been in. Ive felt overtired and kind of lost and id like to start this new path and make it a great one for all of us!

  Parents i seek your wisdom and experience! Thanks for all of you being there to talk to :-)

  JP
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  jgnat

  It's all in the little things. You are in a small town so you are going to have to check out the community paper for local events.

  • Ice cream date. Take one child to give them individual time.
  • Be like a grandpa and take time to listen to their chatter. Repeat their latest news to someone else, a neighbour or to mom. Proves you are listening.
  • Play a game of hide-and-seek.
  • Find them new little friends for play dates (even small children learn nearly as much from their peers as you).
  • Board or card game. With a two year old this might be "Go Fish".
  • Do dishes together.
  • Have a race to clean up their toys, fastest time ever.
  • Make up a story of your family history, maybe make it up as a scrapbook. There are lots of fancy things these days to make it special.
  • Do a round robin over dinner to talk about their day.
  • Ask open ended questions and honor their opinions.
  • Write a diary of all the cute things they say and do. I collected these plus photos and memorabilia and made up scrapbooks for both my children, which they treasured.
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  maninthemiddle

  For us it was getting to know the other parents form school. Getting the kids together for playtime outside of school.
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  PaintedToeNail

  Jon-At yur daughters' ages, the simpler the event, the happier they will be. Anything that requires a long ride anywhere starts kids off bored, so the end result must be hands on for them, like a children's museum where they can try out different things and touch everything.

  Our local fire department had an exhibition where the life flight helicopters were available and we got to ride in a fire truck...my son still remembers this 12 years later, plus it was free. Airports sometimes have planes available for kids to check out. Anything involving water is fun. Do you have a YMCA in your area? It is cheap to pay for a swim with the kids one night a week. Just walking through the neighborhood at the kids pace would be fun, you could observe and comment on 'look at this daffodil, it is really ruffled like a lion's mane, but this one is hardly ruffled at all'. We dragged a magnifer out once and squated by the side of the road looking at different kinds of beetles.

  In my small town, the newspaper still reigns as king versus online media, maybe yours does too. The paper often lists what is going on locally in the events section of the paper. A lot of those things are free.

  Try also meetup.com to see if anyone in your area has started a meet up for parents with small kids, or singles with small kids, they may have structured events you can do...or you can start your own meet up.
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  QuestioningEverything

  Are there any youth/toddler athletic activities or dance classes in your area? I know a lot of those places start out at very young ages. And kudos to you for upping your 'dad' game!
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  Frazzled UBM

  Going to the park, getting to know the neighbours who have kids a similar age and getting to know the other parents at school, which is best achieved by mums at drop off and pick up time (something my JW wife is incapable of doing that drives me spare as it means my son doesn't get invited to other kids houses to play) are the best ways to get them interacting with other kids.

  Until this happens the best thing is to play in the garden or in the house (which means getting down on the floor) with them. At that age you can throw them in the air, swing them around, give them piggy back rides, play chasings and hide and seek (when you are looking for them be very vocal about where you are looking for them and how hard it is to find them and how surprised you are when you find them etc.).

  As they get older you can introduce wrestling with rules (no punching, kicking, pulling hair etc.) to taech them about safe rough and tumble. Let them use their imagination in making up stories and play acting them out (be a monster, a big bad wolf etc.). for boys as they get older you can just hang out in the back yard playing catch and kicking balls and shooting hoops etc.

  And best of all make Dad jokes- the cornier the better.
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  wasblind

  You revieved some good advice Jon

  Kids that age ,Your are in for a good time

  As your children enter school age , find time to volunteer at thier school

  and on class trips as your work permits

  .

  It will be through the eyes of your children

  that you can come to experience the true joys of life

  Especially each time you see thier eyes light up

  .

  .

  Think of it. No more bein' sent to the office to avoid a party

  or havin' to explain " Thier no part of the world " becuase thier in a cult

  .

  .

  They won't have to be afraid that the end is here

  each time there's a thunder storm, Instead, you could explain

  what happens that create the sound durin' that storm

  .

  .

  You have so much to look forward to

  Life is a gift. Please open it up

  .

  .
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  ABibleStudent

  Hi Jon Preston, DITTO what other posters wrote, especially get down on the floor with them. Do what they want to do and not what you think they should be doing.

  Peace be with you and everyone, who you love,

  Robert
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  humbled

  Every body has said good things, Jon. I only have my 2 cents to add--It will sound crazy--but........

  A wonderful and absurd thing is to make and use sock puppets--Button eyes for them and your imagination. Make a ridiculous marionette with a thriftstore cloth doll. remove the stuffings enough that they can bend legs and arms. tie a string to body parts(Look online for info--it is there-"How to string a marrionette") a couple of sticks--don't make it too hard for yourself.

  I speak from years of being creative, broke and having a lot of children and not much access to other options.

  The process may or may not bore the kids--but put on some music and dance--the puppets/marionettes will take over!

  Good luck--2 and 4 are great times for this

  Maeve
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  lisaBObeesa

  wasblind said..

  You have so much to look forward to

  Life is a gift. Please open it up