Day # 4: Flying Paper Airplanes: 40 days to focus on my family

I grew up in a loving home, but I never learned how to make a paper airplane.  Do you remember the day when you used to take a piece of paper, fold it into different patterns and then watch it fly across the room?  Since I never learned how to make paper airplanes, I was unable to pass that skill on to my children.

I belong to a mother’s organization that is designed to provide opportunities for our children to play, learn and grow together.  This Saturday was designed to involve our children in a STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) activity.   One of the activities for the day was to construct a paper airplane, teaching them to follow instructions and learn the basics of aerodynamics. We separated the children into different groups and we placed construction paper and an instruction sheet in front of them.  Ages ranged from 2-16 and I was there with my 13-year-old son.  He, initially, was a little less excited than I would have liked, but he was stuck there with me.  I walked around from table to table to make sure that the kids were following the instructions.  As I was helping them, I decided to make my own plane made out of pink construction paper.  My son was at another table with his peers.  One by one the children completed their construction and began to fly the airplanes.

            Once I completed mine, I was so excited and began flying my plane and squealing with excitement, as I watched my pink masterpiece soar through the air.  Because I allowed myself to be age 10 again, my son chimed in and he began to fly his airplane. (Don’t tell him, but mine was better than his.)

  For the next 15 minutes, he and I flew our planes together.  He even asked to use my phone so he could take a video of his airplane soaring through the room.  What made the difference?  My 13-year-old son saw his grown Mommy morph into a child and it freed him to have a good time and just be silly.  (Being a 13-year-old boy can be stressful,  because you must be cool at all times.)

 I challenge you to allow your children to see you play and become childlike again.  It teaches them how to laugh at and be totally comfortable with themselves.  That is a life lesson that will forever be with them.

Now walk it out...