Monday, March 3, 2014

Spontaniety is a Choice!

The very best thing about being somebody's grandmother is that you REALLY get to think about the lessons you're teaching. Kids learn more from watching your actions than from hearing your words. I THINK about what I'm teaching Lillian.

She learns how to handle disappointment if she sees how I deal with it...She will learn how to be kind if she sees me actually doing it...

AND I want her to learn that her life will be better if she is flexible and SPONTANEOUS.

Think about it. There can't be any disappointment with spur-of-the-moment activities. If it works, great If it doesn't, oh, well.... Whereas, if you plan every detail of an event for weeks or months -- somebody gets sick, or the weather doesn't cooperate -- and all your effort is for naught.

Recently, she was in a snit about something -- and was sent to her room. After a very short time, she said, "I am coming out now, Grandma -- because I decided to get over myself."

A couple of weeks ago, Lilly spent a Monday night at my house. Which meant she would be coming to Tuesday breakfast with me and my crew.  We hadn't planned this adventure in advance -- but she was very excited to be included.
We got there first, and Lilly picked out the table we'd sit at...
Lillian used my camera to take a picture of her favorite pen pal -- Sandy!
Then she took this picture -- see the UNO and LCR games? THANKS, SANDY...
After our usual catch-up visit, and some UNO, Sandy created a craft activity for Lilly...
Finger painting with M&M's...!!
My favorite picture from that day. Sandy, Lillian and Linda.
Sure -- life is about the BIG, well-planned moments -- vacations, graduations, weddings, or trips to Disney World. But you can never really know. Sometimes, the moments a child remembers can happen while spending an ordinary day with Grandma...an unplanned day with Grandma's girlfriends, and a spontaeous game of  UNO...

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