How well do you know you know your children and what they are really thinking about? Well, I found a fun way to get inside the mind of a five year old, and it was all by accident. It is really simple, and you have all the tools you need in your pocket. Trust me, it will be worth it–and priceless–as your children grow up.
We take pictures of our children and we shoot videos of them on game days, birthdays, and every day for that matter, but do we really capture who they are, their personalities, and what they think? I found that a cell phone, a quiet room, and a book to lean the phone against can get you the rawest, unedited, and most personal look into the mind of your child. Not to mention, you will laugh, and at the same time, wonder, “Is this really my child?”
So, it’s simple: go to your desk, set up your phone with the front-facing camera turned on, and prop it up so that your children can see themselves in the screen. Next, explain that you don’t want them to touch the phone, but you do want them to tell the camera about their days, who their friends are, and what they like to do. Then, let them know you’re going to leave the room and let them explain all of this to the camera. Once they get going, the rest is movie magic and will be worth more than any t-ball game or birthday party video.
Since the video can take a lot of space on your phone, make sure to sync it to a service like Google Photos or Apple’s iCloud where you can save them forever. Make it a point to make one every couple of weeks. You will be so happy you did. My wife and I love to watch what they said after they are asleep. Make sure to share the good ones. I already put one online for you to see. Good luck, and be ready, because you never know what will come out of the mouths of your little ones. ■
To watch the video, go to action.brparents.com
