Recover- Kids Need To

(FIVE MINUTE FRIDAY)

This post is part of the weekly Five Minute Friday link-up!

I need to recover from a late night, a big project, or a hard workout. The list goes on and on. At first glance my kids appear to have energy all the time. They wake up ready to go and they still seem ready to go by bedtime. On occasion I forget that they need to recover. It is easy to see signs when they are physically exhausted and need to have a rest. If they are out in the sun too long, or if they have been playing non stop with a friend. What once was a pleasant, now shows signs of irritation. Moments like these are surrounded by factors that point us towards their need for recovery. Often times in which I forget they need to recover come from withdrawn activities. Especially those providing high levels of stimulation. In fact most breaks are needed when the amount of stimulation exceeds our current capacity to process or cope. For my kiddos videogames are a big trigger. They love them and could play for hours if I let them. It is often the source of upset in our house. Not because video games are bad, because they are great (plenty of benefits to be enjoyed). The trigger is having no recovery time. Being immersed in a game then suddenly stopping is hard, even if you set a specific time and give warnings. As soon as they manage to shut off they need to recover. The game is exciting, thrilling, and creates a surge in their senses. I need to pause and ensure we build in a recovery period. Too often I am onto the next task, but their capacity for stimuli is maxed out. It is important for me to respect and value my kids recovery needs as well as my own.