My dad’s not here, but he’s watching from heaven. – Bubba Watson

How to Explain to Kids Where People Go when They Die.

There is never a suitable time to die…for anyone. As I write this blog, I think of my dad, who left us 14 years ago, my grandma, who left us two months before the birth of my daughter and her first great-grandchild, and these are just 2 of hundreds that have passed away that were connected to me in some way.

Fiscal responsibility is something that needs to be taught at an early age.  Parents should intentionally educate their children to be money-aware.  It will not be a lesson in their school and is definitely not an example set by our government.  Parents need to demonstrate that money does not grow on trees by talking about earning money through allowances and eventually jobs.  I started working in our family business as soon as I could walk.  I would get ten cents for restocking the candy display.  Eventually, I worked up to organizing and ordering the merchandise.  However, the big honor was creating fantastic Easter baskets considering the cost of what was inside for reasonable pricing.  Business families, unfortunately, get into the rut of children thinking that life is like a cookie jar they can reach into any time they need money.  It starts with a cookie but evolves into high expectations of having everything paid for them.

When our kids were little, my dad would always say to his grandkids when they were bleeding, "just throw some dirt on it, and you will be fine."  No, it was not a literal statement.  It did get them to laugh and to realize there was no need for tears.  No longer is the three-second rule acceptable when food gets dropped on the floor.  They are required to wear masks because of COVID19 as young as two years old.  Hand sanitizer is used every time kids touch something while scrubbing their hands raw several times a day has become a ritual.  What is the balance of cleanliness and dirty?

“A promise is a promise.” A phrase that emphasizes that a promise should be kept. As a young girl, my mom taught me that keeping your promises is the backbone of any healthy relationship. When it came to arriving on time, my mom drilled into me that you should never be late at an early age. My mom was never late and usually arrived early to any event, appointment, or meeting.

I want, I want, I want…

I don't know about you, but I probably said those words more times than I care to remember as a kid. Do you have that same recollection? Do you hear it from your kids? Grandkids? When I saw an advertisement for the cool roller skates in the Sears catalog, I want it quickly came out of my mouth. If I saw something my friend had that wasn't in our repertoire of toys, I want it was uttered by one of my sisters or myself. Five sisters, all chanting at one time or another, I want it. I want it. I want it. Maybe this is how Marie Kondo got started.

With all of the bustle in our daily life, escaping to their grandparents' magical house is a much-welcomed break. After trekking the kids to soccer practice, gymnastics, lacrosse, archery, to name a few, we parents and kids need a break.  And the answer is not Disney or the beach but to grandmother and grandfather's house. 

Grandmother's and Grandfather's house is where the pendulum of handcrafted clocks tick and tock rhythmically, but time seems to slow down.

Grandmother’s and Grandfather’s house is where the smells of fresh chruściki, or angel wings, fill the kitchen, enticing the children.  Their big smiles and white powder sugar faces wait patiently for more.

As a little girl, I loved grandma’s house. There was always the smell of freshly baked something in the air. The kitchen was inviting, and I still found myself sitting at the table watching grandma move around the room like a master orchestra conductor. The brindled color collie, Lindy, was just close enough to be underfoot but smart enough to keep her distance as grandma did her multi-tasking dance.

As my mind allows me to travel back in time, I remember trips with my daughters to my mom and dad’s lake house in Illinois. When they were four and five, my mom, their Grandmother, would entertain them by climbing up into the attic to retrieve and share with them the toys that I grew up with as a child. The toys were carefully brought down the attic steps and spread out on the living room floor. All three of them sitting on the floor for hours playing with Tinkertoy’s, Lincoln Logs and Lego’s these building sets were a fun way for them to exercise their creativity and use their imagination. Connect 4 was a fan favorite and an exciting strategy game. Up off the floor and on to the kitchen table, they would pull out a deck of cards and play Crazy Eights, a game that requires both focus and patience, as you may know, in Crazy eights, concentration is key.