Slow down…

Challenge yourself to slow down, to be led by a child, they are your equal, so why not let them take the lead?

Children are our best educators for teaching us to slow down, we need to trust their outlook.  Children are fabulous at being mindful, they can rest in the moment, be captivated and totally absorbed by the ‘here and now.’  Unfortunately adults, technology and societal expectations work very hard at disrupting this ability from a very young age.

We are so busy, in so much of a hurry that we can barely stop to allow our child to try to put their own shoes on, before we are hurrying them along or internally absorbing greater anxiety levels as we bite our tongue, then get cross and do the task for them anyway.

Children’s behaviour becomes tricky and difficult when we force children to be adult led in an adult environment with adult expectations.  A prime location being a shopping centre.  Our stress levels increase as our children can’t meet expectations.  From personal experience this never ends well.  Here comes the greater challenge!!

So try something different….

We can’t commercialise and market the benefits of watching a ladybird walking up and down individual blades of grass.  There isn’t an app. for that!  It does not fit into our adult agenda and value system. We are just too busy.

But I challenge you to stop, notice and wonder…..

Summer Love

Whoop whoop the sun has been shining for ummm two consecutive days…is this dare I say it SUMMER?!

I always notice something happen in our family when the sun shines and we can all play and be outside without need for constant hot drinks to warm up…the thing that seems most noticeable for me is that the pace of life seems to slow down and slow down in a pleasant harmonious contented kind of way.  It feels healthier, we are more physically active, less consumer driven and more content to be at home participating in intrinsically rewarding activities, my children play with everyday items; buckets, spades, kitchen utensils; they climb in trees, dig in mud, explore in the sand using the environment around them as their playground.  They can use their outdoor voices without a feeling on my part of being looked at, they can run and not crash into people…they have access to free space…I just love summer!!!  We eat differently; more fruit and fresh food, less comfort food (comfort normally means unhealthy for me).  Messy play is so much easier if you can set this up outside too, my children painted and painted themselves, I was able to relax, interact and enjoy instead of being stressed about the destination of the paint beyond the paper. We pegged up our masterpieces up on the washing line to dry!!! 

The real challenge for me is to harness this change in pace and the healthier, more contented environment and transfer it to those days when you are forced to be inside all day.  I know it is stacked against me as I am a clean house freak and we are family whose personalities are best suited to large open spaces!  The other challenge comes in the form of technology and the impact this has on everyones level of physical activity and the use of imagination and creativity.  Nothing of virtual technology can beat climbing trees, cloud watching and running your hands through the sand…can it?!