Ok, so before I jump into this let me just say this is not a Blog about bending to the the will of my kid. Please read on and you will see.
Now that we got that out of the way let’s focus on the concept at hand; finding common ground with my three-year-old. My son likes dinosaurs, Transformers, and playing with anyting transportation-related. He also has the same energy as a herd of baby goats. If you’re not sure what that’s like Google it. I promise you will at least smile. It can be a challenge for us some days to jointly get enough activity in during the day to satisfy his energy level. It’s life, some days I have house work or errands to do.
Anyway, my son LOVES the outdoors. He spends countless hours outside. He plays in the dirt pile, chases our dog, looks in on the chickens, and pretty much anything as long as he is outside. One of our favorite things to do together is discover new outdoor places and revisit old ones. Yesterday it was a park in Warsaw Kentucky right on the Ohio River. We threw rocks in the water and picked out Driftwood for art projects. The day before that we were on our way home from the grocery store and saw a cool Creek to play in. We stopped, hiked down to it, threw stones, and picked out fossils. We will take any and all opportunities we have to explore.
These activities are amazing. They keep the interest of a toddler and his mom. It is because outdoor activities are timeless. Humans have literally been exploring since the beginning of humankind. It’s no wonder why this is our Common Ground. I am so blessed. My son not only shares my love of the outdoors but he thrives on it. To me this is a beautiful thing. I smile everytime I see him discover something new, or when he silently expresses Joy when a rock he threw splashes as it hits the water, all the way to watching him navigate a trail with or without my help. It might be the little things in life that bring the most Joy but sharing common ground with your children is HUGE.