Category: Creativity

Every parent knows the tone of voice that goes along with that refrain.

It's about as thrilling as fingernails dragging across a blackboard. What to do?

Our quartet often gave moving performances that caused me either to stifle my laughter or–after awhile–wish for a quickie way to quiet the mob.

I had none, so out of desperation more than anything, I came up with a standard reply. "You're bored? Oh, that's too bad. Here's what you'll need to clean the bathroom sink(s.) Go make it shine!"

Or, "Here, this broom should be the right size for you to use as you sweep the porch and sidewalks."

Or, "I just heard the clothes dryer signal that the towels are dry. Please take the towels out of the dryer and fold them."

You get the idea. After a day or two of such suggestions nobody complained of being bored.

I also discovered it boosts incentive to hold out the carrot of a reward when the chores are done. A trip to the park or ice cream treats can prove magical. Or try a family trip to your public library because kids still love being able to choose "their" books or whatever to bring home with them.

Be sure they see you reading, too. Often.

Creativity shines with enough free time

At our house we went for creativity more than toys and gadgets, so summer became a time when dreaming up concepts boomed. We always kept raw materials on hand like cardboard boxes of all sizes, assorted papers, crayons, colored pencils, markers, scraps of fabric, Mod Podge, glue, etc.

Trips to craft and discount stores and also yard sales yielded interesting cords and ribbon, pretty gift papers, paints, glitter, wooden boxes and frames, etc.

Was it messy? Sure. After the first time I proclaimed that our kingdom had a new never-break-it rule. From then on NO doing anything until old newspapers or an old plastic tablecloth or something like that had been put down on the work surface. (Was I ready to help with this? You betcha.)

All this costs almost nothing, but it's a great way for kids to experiment and have fun together.

Why bother, when cell phones and computers can keep kids occupied for hours?

Technology may be everywhere, but human nature–and kid nature–hasn't changed that much.

Creating still brings more satisfaction than consuming an endless stream of "stuff" on screens, some of it questionable. Besides, people still matter more than things. Don't your favorite family memories feature times when you did nothing much and just enjoyed being together?

This requires free time, which may require planning.

Scheduling each child for some activity every minute of every day eats up free time. Too much time watching TV, being on computers and cell phones does the same. We all need time to "just be."

That's why limiting time on phones and computers and enforcing time limits are important. (Yes, this inconveniences Mom and Dad, too, because as you no doubt discovered early on, we have to live what we preach or nobody pays attention to our words.)

Note: This will not earn you the title of "Miss Popularity."

Remember who you are

God gave you these children and you are in charge.

Yes, it's a lot of responsibility, but it's also a privilege. You're helping shape the way these young human beings develop and grow.

Even if each child is a bona fide genius, you know better than they what counts most in getting them ready for life as well-rounded individuals.

As radical as it sounds in our times, research has shown that sometimes sports and various "enrichment" activities are not what each child in your family–or you, for that matter–needs most. They've been created one of a kind, remember?

Give each family member–and yourself–a gift. Look for ways to nurture their individual talents and skills.

Maybe what each family member needs most is some unprogrammed time to let down. At any age, reading a book or lying under a tree just for the sake of looking up at the sky is not "wasted time."

I promise you the world will not stop.

Being unscheduled is not the same as being bored

Summer offers a defined opportunity to try new things. Later you can decide what comes next. Or doesn't. Think of it as time to refuel and rediscover.

Both your children and you may be surprised to find that in the midst of "nothing happening," a lot of personal growth occurred–and none of you were bored.

For now, go with the rhythm of your days. Be quiet and rest. For right now, just be.

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind. Ecclesiastes 4:6 ESV

In quietness and in trust shall be your strength. Isaiah 30:15 ESV

Learning, too,

Lenore

One strategy to deal with the wail, “I am sooo bored!”

July 7, 2022
Suppose your middle-school child came home the first week and told you, "Well, today in band practice we played our pencils."

Would you believe that story?

That's exactly what Sacramento music teacher Donna Pool instructed her new band students to do.

(Maybe she took her cues from Professor Harold Hill in the musical, "The Music Man.")

This 2010 tale is worth retelling because it carries a timeless lesson for us all.

Some of Mrs. Pool's beginning band students at Arcade Fundamental Middle School had no instruments. What's more, there was no money in the budget to purchase them.

What would you do?

This teacher was determined to keep alive her students' interest in learning to play. Determined enough to risk being called a fool. I'd call her a hero. See if you agree.

The word got out

It's small wonder that Donna Pool's story appeared in The Sacramento Bee.

That year Arcade Fundamental had so many students signed up for the new beginning band class that there weren't enough instruments to go around.

Did Donna Pool rant and rave? No.

Did she blame funding cuts and tell her students to start carrying signs? No.

Instead she announced they would work with what they had until they had more. Then she began teaching them basic fingering techniques, using pencils and ballpoint pens.

(Mrs. Pool still teaches multiple levels of band at Arcade Fundamental, also the jazz band and concert choir.)

The news spreads

Once The Sacramento Bee article appeared, local television news crews followed. Even CNN picked up the story, although she turned down an interview with Brian Williams.

In no time instruments began pouring in from all over town and around the country, enough for their needs and more. Excess instruments were added to the San Juan Unified School District's inventory. Anything over that they donated to other school districts.

Mrs. Pool encouraged callers to take their instruments to schools in their own communities.

She attributed the shortage of instruments to adding a new beginning band class rather than budget cuts. However, she said, "The arts don't get enough money. Schools don't get enough money."

Nevertheless, Mrs. Pool must be doing something right. As of 2010 the music program had grown from 120 students to 190 students and about one-third of the school's 600 students played in one of their five bands. (Sorry, I couldn't get current enrollment figures.)

There's a take-home here for you and me

This is one of those win-win stories from which we can learn.

Instead of spending their energies bemoaning what was lacking Mrs. Pool and her students sucked it up and found a way to make it work. We can, too.

It's possible to keep moving toward our goal even when conditions are not what we would choose.

Creative thinking can lead us down interesting paths–and sometimes that's just what's needed–so it's good to always have a Plan B ready.

Doing unto others as we would have them do unto us has not perished from these United States.

When we get involved we can make things better in our community and in other places.

We can get stuck in what's lacking

At any age it's easy to fixate on what's missing in our lives. We endlessly replay all the things we wish were different.

This takes us nowhere.

My grandmother lived through her share of hard times and doing without. She used to say, "Do the best you can with what you got."

Grandma's grammar might make English teachers cringe, but Donna Pool modeled this truth for her students and taught them a life lesson they won't forget.

It's still good advice

Whatever our age, whatever our situation, each of us can lift our hearts and bless others by focusing on what is and doing what we can.

It's as John Wesley said years ago:

"Do all the good you can.

By all the means you can.

In all the ways you can.

In all the places you can.

At all the times you can.

To all the people you can.

As long as ever you can."

The good we do may be as "small" as praying for individuals who do a good job. Or supporting them with encouraging words–to them and about them.

Such simple gestures can mean the world to those on the receiving end. And they won't cost us a cent.

Here's to stepping out in faith,

Lenore

Note: Photos are from the Sacramento Bee.
This teacher responded creatively to tough times–and teaches us all

August 9, 2017
Do you find HGTV addicting?

Me, too.

Five minutes of watching Home & Garden TV channel and I start noticing what's "wrong" with our place.

Typical HGTV host(s) start a huge project and kaboom! In thirty minutes they
knock out walls, paint, tile, hang curtains and pictures and move in new furniture.

It's a piece of cake, right?

That's what a young friend thought, too.

She fell for one of their "simple" projects and absolutely knew it would work on a troublesome long wall in their living room.

Besides, how hard could it be to replaster and texture a simple, straight wall?

Had she ever replastered a wall before? Nope.

She knew from watching it done on HGTV transforming that wall would be easy. And quick.

On the show people textured the plaster and swirled in designs. My friend decided she could swirl and twirl with the best of them.

Bright and early on the big day she mixed up a bucket of plaster and started troweling.

Easy-speasy!

After half an hour or so she stepped back to admire her handiwork. And loved it.

That's when she realized she had a problem. The new plaster was drying fast, but it needed to be pliable when she plastered the new area next to it. How would she get a break?

Her husband tried, but his strip didn't match hers. This was a one-woman job.

Somehow she would have to keep going. By then the end of that wall appeared to be a football field's length away.

Already she could barely raise her arms.

She staggered on, helped by maximum doses of ibuprofen and lots of coffee. As the afternoon went on she got slower and slower, but she finished.

Just before dinnertime.

My friend fell into bed without eating and slept twelve hours.

After a few days she could lift her arms without groaning. Time to tackle Phase 2 and faux painting.

Why not? After troweling on plaster, how hard could it be to paint the room, then sponge on glazes?

Over the next days she found out. It turned out to be another I-can't-stop project.

Eventually, just as on HGTV, she loved her knockout room, which drew lots of compliments. Every time she looked at it she smiled, especially because she did it herself.

The moral to this tale

Maybe it's not a moral, but rather a truth that sinks in over the years. What costs us most dearly we love most dearly.

What's worth doing always takes more effort than we expected, but the lasting satisfaction outweighs the cost.

That's true for building a marriage. Or being a mom. Or making a life that joys our hearts.

So hang in there, trust the Lord to get you through and keep on growing.

I know from experience it takes all you have and then some. But oh, my friend, it's so worth it!

Still learning, too,

Lenore

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