Daily Prompt: Playtime

Do you play in your daily life? What says “playtime” to you?

Just this past week I read a blog on my company’s intranet that spotlighted a woman within our company asking her various questions and one of the questions was: How do you relax from a busy day/week?

Her answer was amazing. She stated that she was on the adventurous side and spent her time with her grown children doing various things like: racing lamborghinis in the desert, zip lining in Vegas, and learning new things like fly fishing.

I thought to myself wow she has some major connections and wow she is living life. I definitely, need to starting enjoying and living my life to the fulliest.

So, how do I play in my daily life?

Lately, I have been involved in a new project that involves me to take on a very big role. So to be honest, I have not had any time during work hours to take a nice break.

After I am done with work, and after a long commute, I start my next job. Mom and wife duty. I rarely have time to stop and smell the roses. There is so much I have to take care of and not enough time.

What does playtime look like?

Playtime during work hours looks like: me taking my breaks so that I could take a walk, surf the web, read, or catch up with my peers so that I could re-energize.

Playtime after work looks like: making time to read, having family game night, blogging, and crocheting.

On the weekend, I need to come up with more adventures. I have mentioned to my husband that we need to start enjoying our youth and start really enjoying our life. We have come up with some ideas like: learning how to sail, taking a hot air balloon ride, taking a ride on a blimp, or booking a flight to some where we have never been for the weekend.

How do you play?

I would love to hear what you do. I may added it to my list.

Compliments! The making of a monster?

Do you know of someone that insist that you praise/compliment their kids?

Well, I do. In fact, I have a family member (by marriage) that is guilty of this. It never fails that when we get together, he always wants me to compliment his kids (especially his daughter) on things that he feels should be complimented on.

For example, if his daughter is wearing a hat, he will say “oh, just look at that beautiful girl. Does’t she look so beautiful with that hat. Don’t you think she looks so cute? She is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, don’t you agree?” It doesn’t stop there, he will repeat the question over and over till you answer.

You may have thought, T just answer the first time and he will quit asking but this scenario happens twice or three times in a visit. I have no problem giving anyone’s child(ren) a compliment, when it is do, but if I am being forced to give a compliment more than once, then I am annoyed.

Besides, being every so annoyed, his daughter is starting to get an ego and expects that everyone give her a compliment every time she is around and expects that everyone give her what she wants, when she DEMANDS IT. Who wants to give a compliment to a little monster.

A few years back when she was 3, I started to see a change in her attitude and the way she was treating others. After observing her, I found that after she gets this BOOST, she was on a self-esteem high and would try to put others down. She was becoming a bully! When I address her mother about this and suggested some pointers on how to stop this, she seem opened, thanked me for the feedback, and said she would discuss the issue with her husband.

Well, I’m sad to report, the problem wasn’t fixed and in a sick way, they like how she acts and because of this I have limited my exposure to them as I REFUSE to enable this little girl’s kick. I understand her parents are to blame but they don’t get the hint that the WORLD DOESN’T REVOLVE AROUND their daughter and she is headed for a rude awakening.

Well, I can’t stay away from them forever.

How do you think I should handle this situation the next time I visit them? Do you think over complimenting a child does good or bad?

P.S. My next visit is in a couple of weeks, so HELP!