From78

It’s a cold wet Sunday evening here in the American Midwest as I write these words. I’ve had my kids (ages 6, 4, 2, & 1) inside for most of the day. This is not an ideal situation.

One thing I’ve figured out is that unspent energy goes through some sort of change around 4:00 pm, where it becomes manic-crazy-in-your-face-energy. This is the kind of energy that leads to a high likelihood of something double-plus-unfold happening.

(Other parents: have you noticed this too, or is this something unique to my family?)

So, I need something I can do with the kids. It can’t last long. It has to be free or very low cost.

My first bet was the library, but it closes early on Sunday. By the time I got them there we’d have to turn around and leave fairly quickly. So, that was out.

I consist putting on a video of some sort, but kids programming is psychological warfare against adults. I don’t think it’s great for kids either, but unlike adults, they tend to like it…. And a video won’t really burn off the unspent energy, and will make bedtime more difficult.

Then I remembered that there is a small indoor play place at the nearby McDonald’s.

There was a time I looked down on McDonald’s. I don’t anymore. The main reason for this shift was coming across the work of Chris Arnade, who convinced me that in many places, McDonald’s is an institution that is a sort of community center. This is most noticeable in places where good park districts and good library sbranches are absent.

I thought about Arnade, and the mind changing work he’s done this evening, as I watched my kids climb and play off some of their unspent energy.

I don’t have a big point to make behind this.