KidsOutAndAbout Publisher's Note February 19, 2015: Good news or bad news?
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
The bad news is: We are creatures of habit. The good news is: We are creatures of habit.
There's a reason we humans get into ruts: It's because it's easy to get too comfortable when we know how to do something and do it well. We LIKE it when we know what we're doing. So we humans tend to dig ourselves deep into a comfort zone and hibernate there.
It's only reasonable that hibernation is most seductive in winter: This time of year, it seems my brain is happiest when I'm doing something sedentary but mesmerizing, like writing, or programming, or watching Cosmos on Netflix, or playing Words with Friends on my iPhone. At any given moment, I don't WANT to be out and about or even playing with my kids: I'd rather be settled into the sofa with a book than going for a walk with my kids or thrusting myself onto a treadmill at the gym or even going to a new exhibit. Of course, I can justify my laziness by telling myself that humans evolved to huddle around the fire in the winter to conserve energy. But the fact is, we no longer live in caves.
Kids can get into ruts even more easily than adults because they don't have the sophistication to envision and own their own future the way we do. Just like with us, it's often more appealing for kids to keep doing familiar things--eating the same food, playing the same games, learning more of what comes easiest--instead of seeking something new. (And at the same time, they're easily bored. Go figure.) But, just like for adults, what will make our kids happy in the long run is stuff that might not be appealing right here and now. So we grownups need to do some mixture of inspiring and requiring that they do what is good for them.
VARIETY is what we need, both for our bodies and for our brains. When we push ourselves outside of that comfort zone, it's ultimately much more rewarding than being lazy. (I promise.) So yes, our habits can be our undoing, but they can also be our saving: Our brains are great at learning new habits; you just have to decide to do it.
The very first step is easy: Just decide to bring your kids out and about whenever you can. Do it every week or two, and instantly, it's a habit your family will love! The KidsOutAndAbout team does its best to make it easy and fun for you: Just read this newsletter and you'll find something that will strike your fancy, or check out the calendar on any KidsOutAndAbout page. It doesn't have to cost anything, either; check out our list of free things to do and page through day by day. You might even decide to sign up for a 2015 CSA to try a variety of fruits and vegetables this growing season.
There's a reason we humans get into ruts: It's because it's easy to get too comfortable when we know how to do something and do it well. We LIKE it when we know what we're doing. So we humans tend to dig ourselves deep into a comfort zone and hibernate there.
It's only reasonable that hibernation is most seductive in winter: This time of year, it seems my brain is happiest when I'm doing something sedentary but mesmerizing, like writing, or programming, or watching Cosmos on Netflix, or playing Words with Friends on my iPhone. At any given moment, I don't WANT to be out and about or even playing with my kids: I'd rather be settled into the sofa with a book than going for a walk with my kids or thrusting myself onto a treadmill at the gym or even going to a new exhibit. Of course, I can justify my laziness by telling myself that humans evolved to huddle around the fire in the winter to conserve energy. But the fact is, we no longer live in caves.
Kids can get into ruts even more easily than adults because they don't have the sophistication to envision and own their own future the way we do. Just like with us, it's often more appealing for kids to keep doing familiar things--eating the same food, playing the same games, learning more of what comes easiest--instead of seeking something new. (And at the same time, they're easily bored. Go figure.) But, just like for adults, what will make our kids happy in the long run is stuff that might not be appealing right here and now. So we grownups need to do some mixture of inspiring and requiring that they do what is good for them.
VARIETY is what we need, both for our bodies and for our brains. When we push ourselves outside of that comfort zone, it's ultimately much more rewarding than being lazy. (I promise.) So yes, our habits can be our undoing, but they can also be our saving: Our brains are great at learning new habits; you just have to decide to do it.
The very first step is easy: Just decide to bring your kids out and about whenever you can. Do it every week or two, and instantly, it's a habit your family will love! The KidsOutAndAbout team does its best to make it easy and fun for you: Just read this newsletter and you'll find something that will strike your fancy, or check out the calendar on any KidsOutAndAbout page. It doesn't have to cost anything, either; check out our list of free things to do and page through day by day. You might even decide to sign up for a 2015 CSA to try a variety of fruits and vegetables this growing season.
You never know
what new thing is going to make you glow
until you give it a go.
--Debra Ross, Publisher, KidsOutAndAbout.com
Web Service