Our second boy is a touchy-feely kind of kid. You know the kind: he doesn’t stop moving (like ever), seems to be constantly fidgeting, and when he encounters something new, the first thing he does is touch it.
Every once in a while, he also likes to lie on the hardwood floor in the living room and play with silly putty. He will spend long periods of time rolling around, squeezing and flattening that silly putty with his hand. And…it drives me crazy! Why, you may ask? Because! Does he not have anything better to do with his time? He should be climbing a tree, riding his bike, reading a book, playing with Lego, drawing a picture…all respectable childhood activities, right? But no…there he is, sometimes just staring, sometimes humming, with that darn silly putty in his hand.
But then again, who am I to say what is and isn’t an appropriate childhood activity? Why am I so uncomfortable with him doing nothing? Lord knows he gets enough physical activity (did I mention he never stops moving). My kids get plenty of time outside. They’re in school all day learning. And reading books makes up most of our bedtime routine. So why does it bother me when he does this?
I think many parents are uncomfortable with their kids doing nothing (at least I hope I’m not the only one). I love to see my kids using their down time to be creative and/or active. But I need to remember that it’s also ok when they’re not. It’s like when my (*ahem*) friend watches What Not To Wear reruns…she just needs to ‘zone out’.
So I will continue to calmly remind myself that Boy2’s little body and brain probably just need a break from the many adult expectations and demands on his time. And that he is not, in fact, playing ‘let’s drive Mommy crazy’.
What do your kids do when they need to ‘zone out’?
