Dear Clients and Colleagues

We are already one twelfth of the way through 2007, ‘007 for short, or the James Bond Year! When it comes to James Bond anything is possible – anyone, anything, anywhere, anytime – kind of like the world we are living in today – full of chaos and change but definitely the Age of Possibility.

In our connected world a massive shift in power has begun – from governments and corporations over to individuals like you and me. We will increasingly have the power to create our own reality (anyone, anything, anywhere, anytime) by influencing and shaping the world we live in. Take China for example, which is not a democratic country. The Pop Idols TV show gave the Chinese people their first real taste of democracy when over 8-million votes were received via SMS from cellphones belonging to individual viewers. They were shaping their reality regardless of their government’s ideology. With personal computers and cellphones linked to the internet, it has become a plug and play world. If you can plug in you can play, that is the only barrier to entry. The new game called Possibility comes with new rules. Playing the new game without adopting new rules and adapting old ones may leave you standing on the sidelines watching the game.

James Bond always starts off his missions with some inside intelligence from MI6 and thereafter he creates and breaks the rules along the way. His mission is always clear but how he is going to achieve it only unveils itself in the moment. Our mission as parents and teachers is to facilitate, mentor and coach our children to prepare them for the future by showing them how to play The Game of Possibility.

Futurist Dr Graeme Codrington and I are in the throes of completing a book on parenting in the 21st century precisely to give you some intelligence so that you can play The Game of Possibility with your children. When individuals hold the power – whether or not they use it and how they use it – is dependent on their values and worldview. This is why children need parental input today. Taking personal responsibility for all the moves you make in The Game of Possibility becomes the number one rule, which is why parents will need knowledge, insight and understanding about the future.

Our book will help you to create a framework for your parenting experience as you embark on the adventure of a lifetime, that of raising the next generation of talent. It will answer these questions:

 What do parents need to know about tomorrow, today?
 Why do they need to know this?
 What action do they need to take?

TALKS & WORKSHOPS

Due to the writing deadlines for the parenting book discussed above, I will not be hosting talks again until May. My Winter Series kicks off with the following (see attached flyers for details):

Nuts & Bolts Workshop
Parents of under 5s
Wednesday, 9 May 2007 9.00 – 11.30am R150.00 per person

Connect the Tots Workshop
Parents of children from birth to 6 years
Wednesday,16 May 10.00 – 11.30am R75.00 per person
Thursday, 17 May 7.30 – 9.00pm R75.00 per person

Parenting on the Run Workshop
Parents of children from 4 – 7 years
Saturday, 26 May 2007 9.00 – 11.30 R150.00 per person

Our Toy Season series at the end of 2006 was oversubscribed. Please remember that payment secures your seat, so book soon to avoid disappointment. Refunds will be entertained up until two weeks prior to each talk. Thereafter, payment is non-refundable.

FEEDBACK FROM MY RADIO INTERVIEW ON SAFM ABOUT TOY TALK

After my interview in November last year on SAFM’s Afternoon Talk, I was left with two recurring thoughts based on the comments or questions the callers had:

1. Many people think about toys in terms of an object that does something to entertain the child. I prefer to think about toys like this:
• How can my child play with this or what can my child do with this toy or game?
• In how many different ways can this game or toy be played?
• For how many months/years will this toy or game be relevant in my child’s life

This is how I determine the value of a toy. Anything that winks and blinks and can only be played with in a limited or prescriptive way, or a toy that does all the entertaining without engaging the child, is a toy that is not worth my investment.

Yes, I hear you! We sometimes need toys that will distract and entertain our children while we get on with what we have to do, and you’re right. But these toys need to make up a very small percentage of your child’s toy box. If children are constantly entertained they will not learn how to play or learn how to entertain themselves. Without such skills they will constantly seek out your attention because they are bored, requiring ever more stimulation. So invest your time and wisely and early on to avoid landing up in a Catch-22 situation.

2. Our awareness of what’s available in the toy and game market is often limited to big brands that advertise.

Comments were made about the high cost of toys as mentioned in a Sunday Time article a few weeks prior to my interview. Most of the toys highlighted in the article were well known characters and brands. Brands and licenced characters attract a premium. You don’t have to buy them! More often than not there is a cheaper equivalent available, saving you anywhere from 30 – 50%, if you are prepared to buy unbranded goods for your child. Having spent many hours roaming the aisles of both large and small toy stores in preparation for Toy Talk 2006, I am also in a position to tell you that there are many excellent games and toys available at under R99.00 that would give children many hours of fun and learning. You can cut your coat according to your cloth and it is possible to bring up young children who are not hooked on particular characters, eg Spiderman, Barney, Power Rangers etc. It largely depends on how much they are exposed to the character and how much attention you pay to that character.

If you have very young children under the age of 5, attend the Nuts & Bolts Workshop where you will discover that by playing with core classic toys in an interactive way with your child, you don’t need a licensed character to make it fun – you are the character! A young child’s world today can be dominated Barney, Barbie, Spiderman etc, which are shaping and influencing them constantly, as I explain in detail in my presentation Connecting with Children through the Noise & Clutter. Committing yourself to playing creatively with your little one at least once a week, is one way of balancing the noise & clutter in their world. You, the parent, can still remain the best toy in the store!

EXCITING PRODUCTS FOR 10 YEAR OLDS AND UP – MYTH AND LEGEND BOARD GAMESAnd now for something totally different! Eco Kids, the toy shop in Lonehilll, has imported a range of unusual board games for older children, based on myth and legend. Eco Kids owner, Silke Ceruti (previously a judge in the Toy of the Year Awards) has provided a review of the following interesting games which retail from R279.00 upwards http://www.brightideasoutfit.com/2007/02/01/myth-and-legend-boardgames-for-older-children/:
• Carcassone
• Maharaja
• Ticket to Ride
• Lost Cities
• Lord of the Rings

TO READ ON MY WEBSITE

THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, BABY EINSTEIN AND YOU
……………It’s easy to seduce parents into purchasing by offering them something that will help them to make their children brighter and more successful. As I reiterate in all my talks and presentations to parents, gen yourself up with some basic knowledge about early childhood learning, then use your common sense when it comes to choosing appropriate toys and games (including video, computer and Playstation games.) Remember that babies and young children were born to move in order to explore and discover the world around them. For learning to have any meaning the child must use his physical body to experience his world. Occupational and physiotherapists tell us that the body is the architect of the brain, so encourage your baby to move rather than leaving him or her sitting in front of the goggle box. For the full story: http://www.brightideasoutfit.com/2007/01/29/the-president-of-the-united-states-baby-einstein-and-you/

May 2007 be your James Bond year! Stay connected to your children and remember that anything is possible.

NIKKI BUSH
The Bright Ideas Outfit
083 265 5754
brightideas@powerpt.co.za
www.brightideasoutfit.com

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 6th, 2007 at 8:48 pm and is filed under 21st Century Parenting, General, Newsletters, Noise & Clutter, Parenting on the Run, Toy Talk. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.