Sometimes I find myself surfing the internet almost mindlessly, using the computer mouse like my husband and son do the television remote, until something catches my attention and causes me to pause and read an article carefully – the result, I’m sure, of a good editor.
This afternoon was one of those times, as I sat at my computer, cradling the newest addition to our family (no, not an infant – please see below) as she slept in my arms, and using the mouse one-handedly.
In reading this article, it really struck home with me that children today do not have the luxury of time that I did as a child – lazy afternoons after school and homework chasing the kick ball in the back yard, wrestling with the family dog, “playing dolls” with a neighbor in our pretend “house” located in the grassy bower in the woods behind our home. Our parents didn’t worry about where we were going or how long we would be outside – we just had to be home by suppertime.
Now, I realize that I’m dating myself here, but it really saddened me to realize that today’s American children, although living in the “Land of the Free”, do not have that same freedom that I did. Fears for their safety have eroded at their childhood as much as concern for their educational futures have forced them into earlier and earlier academic programs.
How blessed I am to be able to offer parents and children the opportunity to come together for a wonderful time of play and interaction with other children in my Kindermusik classes!
If you’re interested in reading this article – “Whatever Happened to Play?” , just click on the title. Still looking for a class for your child? Come join us now – we gladly pro-rate tuition for later enrollment.
As for the newest addition to the Williams household, we found a teeny-tiny kitten in our carport last night around 1 AM, yowling for all she was worth in the cold. She barricaded herself back between fully-loaded grain buckets and refused to come out, no matter what the enticement.
It took three adults, a teenager, and an 11yo child to eventually motivate her this afternoon to make a dash for our utility room – where she was finally caught by our 16yo daughter, Rebekah.
What does the rest of our menagerie think of her? Boo-Boo, our outdoor cat, was nowhere to be found. We asked KC, our indoor resident feline expert, but he’s not telling. 
