They say misery loves company. That must be the reason why grown-ups suffering from full-blown cases of Adultitis are working so hard to ruin Halloween for kids. My three-year-old niece is going Trick or Treating as Darth Vader this year. (Yes, I did say niece.) She already has the next three years worth of costumes planned out. Next year, it's Luke Skywalker, then Darth Maul, then...a bunny. The other day on the radio, I heard the superintendent from the Madison School District mention that they don't encourage schools to have costume parties. They don't ban them; they just strongly …
Maintain Perspective
What’s So Great About The Great Outdoors?
When I was a kid, I remember heading out back to the ravine behind our house. It was only a few steps from the front door, but it might as well been a million miles away, in some godforsaken, unexplored jungle. I'd pretend to be Han Solo, exploring a far off planet, or an archaeologist, digging for clues about ancient years -- like the early seventies. My friend Jenna often tells stories about sitting in a tree in her yard, enveloped by branches, equipped with books and sandwiches. In fact, many people I know, when asked to name their favorite place to play as a child, would mention somewhere …
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Scrapbook Away Adultitis
Attention scrapbooking aficionados! Michelle Thompson at Scrapability has taken the 8 Secrets from Childhood from my ChangeThis manifesto (free download) and applied them to the art of scrapbooking. She correctly (and wittily) states, "The link into any seri-arse scrapper’s identity -- the ability, just for a bit, to escape adulthood, remember your childhood and simply 'to play'." I think scrapbooking is indeed a great way to tap into that childlike creative spirit in a "grown-up" way. Definitely more productive than sitting in front of the boob tube. Here's Michelle's scrapbooking slant …
Not Sleepless in Seattle…
...my feet won't let me. Kim and I had a chance to get out and explore Seattle yesterday. We're big walkers, and we did a lot of it. I think you just get a much better feel for the city by walking as much as you can; you get a real vibe for the place. By the end of the day, my feet started to revolt, but by the grace of New Balance, they are still here to talk about it. We parked in the shadow of the Space Needle, and walked west toward Puget Sound, then south to the famous Pike Place Market. It certainly lived up to its billing as the soul of the city. Being from Madison, I am no stranger …
I Love Fall
It really is my favorite season. Growing up with a yard full of trees offered many options for piles of leaves to jump into. My favorite thing to do was to rake up a big pile at the bottom of the slide on the swingset, climb those endless eight steps and fly into the crunchy sounds of happiness. The first fire in the fireplace was also a big deal. We had to break open the bag of marshmallows. Even though fall always seems like the shortest season it is filled with some of my favorite things in life: The crisp cool mornings. The traveling birds overhead. The gorgeous leaves. …
I Love Creative People
The Leo Burnett Company web site is a perfect example of how to create an experience that makes the user "return to childhood." I found myself delighted by the unique and whimsical interface that stands out in a homogenized landscape of very boring "grown-up" web sites. Children are surprised every day by the unique experiences life provides. As adults, we get caught up in the idea that we've seen everything. In a world of ho-hum products and service, there is a big opportunity to be had by the ones that surprise their customers with a fresh perspective. …
Thanks Mom and Dad
I remember growing up in Peru, Illinois, and every night Mom would cook dinner and our whole family sat down for supper. My Mom's a pretty good cook, too (a fact that went unnoticed until I went to college.) Dad would ask us boys about our days and Mom made sure we ate our broccoli. At the time, it seemed pretty commonplace and mundane. Certainly not as remarkable as the A-Team, which was about to start so could I be excused, pleeeeaase? …
Letting Kids Be Kids
I'm in a bit of a pickle. A few months ago, I stumbled across a story about a new corporate-sponsored theme park (aren't they all?) in Florida. I've refrained from blogging about it because I'm not sure what I think about it. Here are the details: Wannado City, as it is called, offers 3- to 13-year-olds a "taste of the grown-up world" by offering them the opportunity to try out more than 100 professions. For instance, a child could pilot a Spirit Airlines jet, write an article as a Miami Herald reporter, bottle Coca-Cola, or soar to great heights in flight simulators from Spirit Airlines. …
Cramming for Kindergarten
Have you ever read something that immediately makes you feel sick to your stomach? This is how I feel right now after having read the article entitiled 'Cramming For Kindergarten,' featured recently on CBSnews.com. I think the title gives you an idea of what road I am going down. Yet another example of adults, and in this case parents passing on their Adultitis to their little ones. Tragic! The article talks about parents who have chosen to seek out tutors for their pre-schoolers, in order to help them 'be ready' for the academic demands of Kindergarten. Christine Califano, one of the …
Lost: Childhood
Do kids these days really get to have a childhood? Having worked in a school, I have heard first-hand the debates between schools and parents about the amount of homework children receive. I'm all for working hard and succeeding in school but why do kids have to then go home and work more? Even most adults only work eight hours a day. This really bothers me. Not to mention the high pressured high schools. These students are not even nineteen years old and they have full-blown Adultitis. Anand Vaishnav from The Boston Globe recently wrote an article entitled: 'Suburban high schools try to ease …