What a great use of leftover wood scraps. This cute collection of ‘children’ stands in front of the Cherokee Arts Center in Canton, Georgia. Each one appears to have been created by different artists, all given the same materials. Each one is different, unique, and illustrates the imagination found in the mind of a child. 

As adults currently ‘running’ this world, are we thinking clearly about the world we are leaving our children? I had a dinner conversation this evening about how expensive children’s sports teams have become. Three hundred dollars for uniforms, travling teams fees, tuition to be part of a gym, and team dues that all total into multiple thousands of dollars each year. The parents I was chatting with wondered what message are we sending our children? When their extra curricular activities cost the family the total of a nice vacation, and that is each year for each activity. One father paid seven thousand dollars for his son’s sports team last year, and his son is only nine. How do we keep that up? And how do the children learn to cope with going without? How will they earn enough to be able to maintain that type of lifestyle? And when is enough enough? Have we set the bar so high that no one will be able to afford the life they think they want? 

Whatever happened to letting our children play outside and use their imagination to create, and dream, and invent things? What happened to simple games with the neighborhood group of kids that taught us fair play, cooperation, and how to resolve conflict? How are our children learning to build relationships and meet new people without having to spend money? How are they understanding the limitations they can live within? How are we as the ones leading them teaching them to value themselves without others providing validation? If we on;y spend money, how are we investing ourselves into their future? 

Scrap boards and leftover paint created an adorable installation. Would our children have been able to do this if they couldn’t post it online for everyone to see? Maybe this holiday season we need to get back to the basics of what is really important and once again instill in our children their value without money being involved. Let’s lead them back to a place where they can find and appreciate themselves without breaking the family budget. I would like to know that generation and would be proud to have them lead this world when I am old.