The Changeable Table: Edible Playdough

With summer now in it’s second half - have you done anything fun yet with the kids? This playdough is the smoothest, most pliable I’ve ever tried - and you can even EAT IT. But... be forewarned. Put off tasting it until you’ve had your spurt of creativity. You won’t be able to leave it alone after the first nibble.

My husband used to tell the kids to "sit on your pockets"
when they were out of control. Seems like now kids do this a lot more,
and especially when they watch TV. I wonder if I would use
this same phrase if I were raising my kids today?

My three oldest grandchildren are experiencing some level of boredom this summer. I remember summer looming before me back in the day my children were in school and would soon be home The Entire Day. (And I would be the one in charge of providing them with a stimulating environment in addition to mac ’n cheese, swimming lessons, and letting them watch TV ALL DAY LONG... you know I’m kidding, right?)

Each summer I had to (re)learn the process of embracing summer. My husband was an educator, and I told myself that having him home for three months every summer would prepare me for his retirement. Having both a husband AND children home for three months of the year taught me that this glorious season has three parts.

Part One: Mourning. I will admit I had a few weeks of mourning the loss of my free time. I couldn’t count on having a few hours to myself at a predictable time every day - in other words, no me time. The kids and I would often find ourselves in a face-off several times a day. Have you ever mentally calculated how many more days till school starts?

Part Two: The Schedule. After my period of (selfish) yearning for free time, I launched into efficiency. This gave me a sense of being in control (who was I kidding?) This worked pretty well for a while until the family figured it out. Mom just thought she was in charge. But it was good while it lasted.

Part Three: The Flow. This is when the kids and I let our guard down and learned to enjoy each other. I decided to put aside my agenda, and play WITH them - not just give them an activity to keep them busy. A psychologist would describe “flow” as a time when you are doing something challenging, but not so hard that you are stressed.

The ideal is when kids find “flow” on their own, but sometimes all it takes is getting them started and letting them run with it. This little recipe is great because you can let them play with it until it loses it’s appeal - then clue them in that it’s EDIBLE!