It's 5 p.m and I've quite literally just come back from a local park. I've just spent the last hour & a half throwing a frisbee with my wife and walking with my son. The best way of getting your kid to have good eye hand co-ordination is to get him/her out running and catching things...balls, frisbees, boomerangs.
Fair enough a one year old is really bad at throwing frisbee...caught it the face one or twice, but bad at the throwing business. He did however get a lot of fresh air and exercise running around the field.
Selina and I got a lot of exercise chsing the frisbee. Also there is exercise equipment in this park...and I'd forgotten just how much one of those Ab busters can take out of you.
The point here isn't to brag about how fit I am, but to make the point that I gave Ariel the time out in the fresh air, gave Selina and myself the exercise. I gave my son time. We are poor and the one gift that truly matters is time.
Today he was playing with some tennis balls and I observed him throwing for the first time. Mudita arose in me. I was so proud of and happy for my son that he is now at the stage where he can throw tennis balls. He got a big kiss and was told that I am so proud of him. I cannot remember ever getting these gifts from my father. Giving my son time to grow, teaching him the skills he needs to be the fiercely independent person he needs to be and giving him my unconditional love these are the gifts that matter.
The expensive toys can be a lazy way of parenting and the very worst of gifts.
You want to give something that will truly matter to someone you love?
Give them you.
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