Creative Parenting

Those that lived in the Twin Cities area during the 80's may remember a local show called Good Company. It was sort of like Regis and Kathie Lee but in St. Paul. The hosts were a married couple Steve Edleman and Sharon Anderson. They had a lot of segments with local experts and one of them was Donna Erickson. Donna was the creative parenting expert and would come on the show and do fun little projects that parents could recreate with their children at home. How nice, right?

Well I think creative parenting is a bit more than art projects and picture magnets on the fridge. I think a creative parent has to actually be creative in their thinking and answer giving. You could nearly start a nuclear meltdown with the wrong answer.

Anna noticed a leaf on the grass. She was NOT happy about that! She did NOT authorize this leaf to be ON the grass. How dare this leaf fall from the tree! The horror! So can you sense her disgust yet? She asked me why the leaf was on the grass and I said calmly that the leaf was blown off the tree from the wind. No Mama it go up dere. (pointing to the top of the tree) I'm sorry dolly that leaf won't go back on the tree. Yes Mama put it back. Okay, I'll try. I picked up the leaf and tucked it into the bark of the tree. Dat be good Mama.

In an effort to ease her into the inevitable sorrow that is autumn, I started to brace Anna for the entire season. I mentioned that soon all the leaves will turn to pretty colors like red, orange and yellow , the trees will get ready to take a nap at which point, gasp, the trees will let their leaves fall to the ground. NNNNOOOOOO! It did not go over well. I re-explained the whole pretty leaf colors situation and she appeared to slowly be okay with this fact of nature as long as there are some "boo yeaves". I did not want to cause more heartache and did not argue. Maybe there will be some blue ones? I then explained how fun it will be rake up all the leaves into a great big pile that she can jump into. The lights went on in her little head. She said, "I be fine, dat be fun, dat be good fo me." Thank you Anna.

Anna is prepared and ready. Let the fall color-rama begin! Take that Donna Erickson, mending broken hearts and having fun all in less then 5minutes!