Pleasure World

I heard a fellow speaking on the radio the other day suggesting that the modern pace of life is creating a pleasure-overdrive for our children, that ultimately will put them at greater risk of addictions and depression. It was a pretty bleak message! Basically, he was saying that because our children participate in many organised activities and have access to so much electronic media, their bodies release far too much of the chemicals related to pleasure, that their brains are unable to enjoy the basic pleasures of life. His suggestions were that we limit television, movie and game access (haven't we all heard that before!) and ensure our children have plenty of time to get bored and make their own fun.

I don't know about your family, but my children often wake up 'bored'. They seem to think if they don't have something to do straight away, there is nothing to do. But when we go camping, or hit the holidays, I don't hear that quite so early in the day and they usually can find something to do much quicker. I don't think we should underestimate the impact of the school routine on our children either.

About this time of the year, I always find children are getting grumpy and feisty. They bicker and fight one another and refuse to do as they're told. This happens both at school and at home! I think it's because they've been at school for 8 months now and they're getting tired. There's still a lot of pressure on children and their teachers to get work done and assessments complete. The winter is coming to an end, and most children have been knocked down by at least one cold or bug. It just seems to be a seasonal thing that, as we come into Spring, they take a little longer than the landscape to recover from winter.

So, what can we as parents do about it? I've decided that having as few organised things as possible is good. Being able to bunker down and have plenty of lazy afternoons and weekends at home is a good thing. I've also found that having something to look forward to in the holidays helps. Whether that's a camping trip, sleepover at the grandparents or a special outing. A positive light at the end of the tunnel seems to keep everyone moving forward. And the other thing I do is give up on pretending that the house is in order. At this moment, every morning is a hunting expedition to find a pair of matching socks or a clean uniform shirt. It's taken me a few years, but now I think, "Who cares!" and just get through each morning as best I can, then regroup for the afternoon battle.

"Wise thinking leads to right living; stupid thinking leads to wrong living." - Ecclesiastes 10:2