We all have one.
The banned list. The things in our home that are a no-go for our kids. Is it Caillou? Playdough? Toy weapons?
When I became a mom for the first time 11 years ago my banned list was long. My family and friends made fun of me for it and even I can recognize, in hindsight, it was a little too DANGER, DANGER.
A decade and three boys later my standards have, well, relaxed. I still expect kindness and respect and for our family’s values to hold strong every single day but my list of never-ever-not-over-my-dead-body has shrivelled.
Until recently my last few remaining holdouts were Power Rangers (until my dad pointed out it was my favourite show when I was growing up), glitter (after a Christmas craft disaster 8 years ago that left me cleaning up glitter for four months), and Krazy glue (do I really need to explain why?).
Apparently the long winter left my brain addled when it was faced with sun and too much chocolate on Easter weekend because I decided that of course we could make our own Power Ranger energems together.
These metal and mineral crystals apparently hold untold powers and the Power Rangers want to find them all before their enemies do. Please don’t quote me on this: my sources are 4 and 8 years old.
After perusing the internet and Pinterest we settled on a list of necessary supplies:
-small plastic tubes from Michaels
-glitter (temporarily removed from the banned list)
-Krazy glue (another banned item list removal but necessary to ensure the watery glitter didn’t end up on my carpet)
-metallic paint (the grown-up kind that doesn’t wash off)
Our plan? Take all the craft supplies to their grandparents to work on them together.
And then have the glitter mysteriously disappear after the craft and before we go home.
I wouldn’t classify this as a “look at my amazing Pinterest creation”. Smudgy silver paint and clumped glitter don’t a beautiful ‘pin’ make. But my kids were thrilled to use illicit craft supplies and even happier to have energems of them own.
Spending 8 minutes in the presence of glitter did however force it back onto the banned list. I’m curious to see what else makes the cut by the end of 2017.
