Children grow up fast.
One day you come home with a tiny baby in your arms, next your child is walking, then she is playing soccer, taking ballet, and on the swim team and before you know it your family calendar is full. She’s now 6 years old and is a ballet dancer, a professional soccer player and is an Olympic swimmer, but you don’t remember the day she won her first swim trophy, beat the undefeatable soccer team or had her first ballet recital.
Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Operation Spark Childhood is Calling (TM) report gives parents to information needed to enable them to take control of their memorable moments and gives us expert insight into what is really important in our children’s younger years. Is soccer at 4 years old going to get your child a 200,000 college scholarship, is having a competitive swim team trophy at 5 years old going to show your child how much you enjoy spending time with her? I doubt it.
What ever happened to self-directed, free play? I spent hours in my backyard, front yard and in-between (on our roof – not recommended). My days weren’t a mog podge of activities after school and I didn’t have to eat dinner in the car because I was in activities all afternoon and evening, and I certainly wasn’t involved in more than two activities at one time. At one point I played soccer and was a Brownie, and then I tried gymnastics and was still a Brownie. I remember special and everyday things I did with my parents and my sister unlike some children today who don’t know what it’s like to spend a day on the boat with dad or in the garden with mom because they are just too busy. I was relaxed, and care free, like children should be.
So what can you do to create lifelong memories and connections with your children? Check out The Childhood is Calling report which provides advice on celebrating
the magic of childhood gathered from renowned parenting experts. The
Operation Spark experts include:
— Dr. Lawrence J. Cohen, psychologist specializing in play and author of Playful Parenting, a parenting resource book offering an exciting approach to raising children
— Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World, kids’ rock star and creator of Ralph’s World, a four-man, Grammy Award-winning, children’s rock ‘n’ roll band
— Donna Erickson, author of Fabulous Funstuff for Families and host of PBS’s "Donna’s Day," a TV series designed to help parents and kids rediscover the simple joys of spending time together
— Susan J. Oliver, executive director of Playing for Keeps, a national, non-profit organization that promotes the importance of play
— Bonnie Ulman, co-author of Trillion Dollar Mom$ discussing how recent generational shifts have impacted the buying behaviors of today’s mothers and moms-to-be
The Childhood is Calling(TM) report shares advice on creating and savoring special moments with kids:
— Making playtime part of the routine builds relationships with kids and helps them learn important skills such as the ability to be
compassionate and the capacity to solve problems.
— Sharing passions and exposing kids to hands-on experiences builds
parent-child connections and creates lasting memories.
— Encouraging kids to share feelings, laughs, challenges and special moments can be easy with simple touches of creativity like involving
kids in cooking and starting fun family traditions.
— Dads can build strong bonds and special memories with their kids by
letting them help with "Dad" projects and spending one-on-one time together.
— Grandparents today play an important role in the magic of childhood,
sharing a link to family heritage and sharing time on unique
activities.
"The Rice Krispies brand has always been dedicated to celebrating
the magic of childhood," said Karl Miller, brand manager, Rice
Krispies(R). "We’re proud to bring parents a fantastic resource that
they can use to create lasting memories with their children."
For more information on Operation Spark, advice from the experts,
as well as tips on how to better connect with your kids, visit
http://www.childhoodiscalling.com/.