Early morning is my fav time of day for many reasons, one being it is the calm before the chaos of raising and educating happy, healthy kids. As I come to the end of my twelfth year of teaching Distance Education, I’ve come increasingly aware that while life with young children is full to the brim and slightly chaotic in a fun kind of way, it is for only such a small, fleeting moment in time.

I’ve noticed the term #childhoodunplugged a little lately and I really like it. Kind of epitomises a childhood filled with simple yet memorable moments.

 

And because the moments are so fleeting we’ve kind of thrown the rule book to the side and embraced eKindy (my 3rd and final go around of the distance education program) in lots of extended, life-skill building, positive kinds of way.

We’ve been researching dinosaurs and making fossils.

Water and flour and salt while participating in a webinar …. what could possibly go wrong?

Beating eggs, adding syrup and stirring flour to make gingerbread men with our virtual classmates, without Mum ‘hovering’ too much.

It’s certainly not for the faint hearted …..

But the rewards far outweigh the risk!

A sense of achievement and of course heightened popularity with your siblings.

Lots of learning is incidental or accidental but can be just as meaningful. When the Year 2 is pressed for time during her Maths lesson and needs a few ‘chance and data’ wheels cut out pronto, why not call on your eKindy sibling to cut out and sort!

Of course learning doesn’t ever stop, whether you’re big or small, in the schoolroom, playing or working with Dad.

Or trekking to town to play some team sport. The little kids are fast becoming big kids and I’m now embracing being a mother of four enthusiastic cricketers. Our Friday evening is filled with the fun of the Milo T20 Blast where both Adelaide and Hamish can enjoy a shorter, social and fun game of cricket, while Saturday is all about overs, batting, bowling and team camaraderie for these two and Andrew.

I fondly look back on the years of babies, breastfeeding, toddlers, and nappies but am just as keen about the adventures ahead. Childhood, no matter what stage or age, is best a little bit chaotic and a little bit unplugged.

 

As Gretchen Rubin so wisely says,

“The days may be long but the years are short”.

and

“Remember to work harder to appreciate your ordinary day”

 

 

 

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