unimaginative parenting

I had to go to the post office yesterday and wait in a rather long line. For quick errands and running around town, when I'm out and about like this, I usually use a double stroller made for older/younger siblings to keep kiddies and accessories in one place.

Joey is happy being parked in front and usually encourages me to "push faster." Now five months old, Tombo is happy in back either napping or watching the world go by.

In the post office, another woman had her three kids with her. The two younger ones, both boys, were around my kids' age and in a double stroller, too. She also had an older girl who looked to be about seven.

All three children were tetchy, squirmy, and largely ignored while she yabbered on her mobile phone; the youngest one smelled like he needed a diaper change. The two older kids had nothing to keep them occupied, so they were understandably more and more restless as time dragged by and the line inched along.

When I take the kids out of the house for any length of time, I always make sure Joey has a few things along with him to keep him occupied in almost any situation. These are small and fit easily in the stroller storage compartment -- a book, a toy or two that will keep him busy and distracted, and a healthy snack.

Until I became a parent, I never paid much attention to moms and dads in public with their children. Now that I'm a mother, I notice these things quite a lot.

Some moms and dads practice what I call unimaginative parenting. They drag their kids places because they need to shop or run errands but they just expect their kids to lump it. They don't use outings as a way to stimulate and educate their kids.

As a result, the children are often noticeably bored and unhappy. They're like restless prisoners or dogs in a kennel needing something to keep them occupied.

I've been wondering lately about whether children of these unimaginative parents will grow up to be less curious adults themselves, the sort who never read and content themselves with garbage television and mindless entertainment.

As a parent, I believe you can find educational and stimulating endeavors in the midst of ordinary activities. A trip to the supermarket can be a hunt for a particular word or color on a package. A walk down the street can be another quest for colors or numbers.

Little minds are like seedlings. If they're nurtured, they could grow stronger in ways we may never realize.