Go Play Outside...

Yesterday I was the WORST Mom in the world.  I made my son go outside and ride his bike.  Yes you read that correctly.  I made him.  He put up such a fuss.  Gave me every excuse in the book as to why he should stay inside. 

Living in Washington State there are not many sunny days of which we can take advantage.  The weather here is typically raining about 9 months out of the year.  So, I think it is important for him to play outside on the days it is clear and sunny. 

I grew up in deep South Georgia.  A place where the sun shines nearly every day.  It is extremely hot 9 months out of the year.  The lower part of the state is usually suffering from a drought.  Just about every day is forecasted with 100% humidity.  In short, I grew up in the exact opposite climate as my child. 

I loved playing outside.  Even if it was unbearably hot and hard to breath.  My brother and I would play outside until we had what my Mom called "sweat bead necklaces" in the creases of our neck, bends of our arms, backs of our knees.  It was some of the best times of my childhood.  I simply do not understand why my son does not want to take advantage of the perfect weather.

Then I notice, there are no children outside playing in our neighborhood.  It makes me wonder what has changed so much?  Why do children not run and play, ride bikes, skateboard?  Why do children not come home with "sweat bead necklaces?" :) 

Then I looked around my house.  My son has availability to cable television.  Over 200 channels of nonsense.  When I was his age we had 4 channels and one of them was GPTV (Ga Public Television).  My son also has a plethora of video games.  He can play a game and be any kind of creature he chooses to be.  My brother and I had to use our imaginations.  If we wanted to fly, we had to run and jump and hold our arms out to the side. 

  

I have recently noticed that my son seems to have very little imagination.  It seems he cannot figure out what to do with himself if he does not have a television telling him how to feel or think.  This makes me sad.  I wonder if it would be different if he was not an only child?

Well, he did eventually go outside and play.  I could see him riding his bike as I looked through the kitchen window.  I could tell he was doing it begrudgingly.  After about 10 minutes I noticed he had not rode by in a few minutes.  So I stepped outside to check on him and he was playing football with the neighbor child.  I could hear them laughing and shouting football jargon.  It was great.  He was having so much fun.  He played for hours.  Then it was a fight to get him to come inside.  This made me smile.

He later told me he was glad I made him go play.  He said he had a "really fun time".  The weather is not hot enough for him to have the sweat bead necklace but he was tired. 

I am sure this will not be the last time we have this fight but this time I won the battle and my child got some exercise!