Are you trying to think of that perfect gift that will give the kids the gift of joy over and over year round and at the same time give the parents a little break
A few years ago when we got our kids a bounce house for Christmas, we knew we were giving them the gift of joy but had no idea that it was also the best gift for ourselves as well!
If you’re a parent of young kids you may be thinking that the words “joy” and “peace” are only found in the same sentence in your house around Christmas time. Oh I am sure there is joy and fun and laughter if you have children and once you get them sleeping through the night I hope there is at least five hours of peace but for them both to happen SIMULTANEOUSLY may be harder to spot.
Don’t get me wrong, there are fleeting moments throughout the day that I try to hold onto- like when my son says something nice to my daughter and a smile of kindness fills the room, or when my toddler cuddles up to me with a favorite book or when they clean up a mess without being asked. *Sigh* yes I LOVE those moments… but unfortunately they are often sandwiched between the panic of something spilling, someone yelling, attempted discipline or fixing owies.
Joy for the Kids:
First let me reassure that this gift will definitely bring joy! Can you think of anything more exciting to a child’s eyes than a HUGE balloon shaped like a castle with bright colors filling up a room- that you are actually allowed to go jump on?! This gift is sure to bring big eyes, a huge smile and lots of excitement.
As a parent myself, one of my main questions before buying a toy is: Is this something that will be tossed aside in a month or something they will actually play with more than once? One of my biggest pet peeves about Christmas toys is that companies put so much money into marketing the toy that the box itself is more exciting than the actual toy. I’d be lying if I said I was never convinced by the packaging just so that my kids would get that “wow- affect” coming in the room on Christmas morning. Unfortunately, within a few minutes the box is in the trash along with all the excitement and the toy that is remaining can be disappointing. (Last year my mom got the kids a rock painting kit for Christmas- it was extremely thoughtful and totally something my kids would love. However, inside this very exciting, well-made box was literally a handful of rocks and some cheap paint. )
That’s what I LOVE about a bounce house. Honestly- I’m not sure what kind of a box yours will come in. However, I can guarantee that this will be a gift that is loved for YEARS and for a variety of ages. From birthday parties to playdates, to a simple afternoon activity, this toy can be enjoyed and loved for a long time. My kids beg to get it out and it can easily keep children happily entertained for hours. You know that “wow-affect” you are hoping for on Christmas? That happens all year round- every time you plug it in! Every.single.time.
Peace for the Parents:
Notice I don’t say “peace and quiet” because I just can’t guarantee that there won’t be shrills of fun and laughter exploding from the room. Personally, I would take those sounds ANYDAY rather than whining and complaining or another repetitive sing-along toy or the shooting/siren noise of a toy gun. (Yep, you know the type I’m talking about- the one that mysteriously “broke” last year when you took the batteries out after the eye-twitching migraine set in.)
Here’s what I mean by “peace”:
You know that feeling you get during the first warm days of Spring when you can simply send your kids out to play in the backyard and they are fascinated for hours with nature and playing the way kids should play? When you don’t have to worry about coats, or hats, or gloves, or snow pants, or frost bite, or runny noses. When you can put on some music and dance while you sweep the floor because there isn’t a child following right behind your broom with goldfish crumbs because they are outside feeding the birds with their messes instead.
Yep- that’s the kind of peace I mean because you can happily get things done (or relax if you’re the lucky type) knowing that your kids are getting some good physical exercise (indoors! in the winter!) and playing happily like energetic kids should without their eyes glued to a screen watching an avatar have all the fun.
Here’s the thing about mom-guilt. Although I understand that too much mom-guilt is unhealthy and that I should probably learn to relax when a loving family member pulls out a phone to entertain my child. The mom-guilt about the dangers of putting your kids in front of a screen for too long originate from some serious and honestly pretty scary facts. We can’t completely disregard mom-guilt because when those similar gut feelings protect our children we proudly call them “a mother’s intuition”. I’m sure there are a lot of opinions on this matter but at least for me, some screen-free independent play brings blissful peace.