(Rebe inventing a kite rocket)After our gorgeous and busy few days what we really needed yesterday was some downtime. I try to make sure that we keep a balance in our lives; organised fun and visits and outings should be balanced with down time. Time to rest, relax, recooperate is just as important as wonderful adventures and meetings.
(post game)Without this time we would become burned out, over stimulated and over tired. We would also not have time to digest the wonderful, special experiences we have just had. These experiences can only become internalised and celebrated as special moments if we give them time to be remembered, laughed about, written and drawn about.
(filling in our eye spy book)Without downtime our children become dependent on constant entertainment. They need time and space to play, to breath, to be. They need time to get bored for out of boredom amazing creativity emerges.
(Rebe's dinosaur, his head is an empty box and she's sellotaping on a tail- the perfect dinosaur for riding on)Yesterday we enjoyed a wonderful 'down' day. There was lots of free play, cleaning, cooking and washing time for me,
we played games together. Joa enjoyed helping to throw the dice :-)
Time for painting, drawing and crafts. Rebe made lots of things using some clay Lucy sent home with us from our visit to the pottery.
Time for knitting. This is my favourite knitting at the moment. A pair of tiny, soft knitted kittens make a lovely present and they are so simple and quick to knit.
Time for being together, helping and sharing time. For remembering who we each are and how much we love each other and our home.
we played games together. Joa enjoyed helping to throw the dice :-)
Time for painting, drawing and crafts. Rebe made lots of things using some clay Lucy sent home with us from our visit to the pottery.
Time for knitting. This is my favourite knitting at the moment. A pair of tiny, soft knitted kittens make a lovely present and they are so simple and quick to knit.
Time for being together, helping and sharing time. For remembering who we each are and how much we love each other and our home.Being away on adventures is nice, but being home is nice too!
Such a wonderful remainder of how important balance is. I really like the remainder that it is so important to rest and integrate our experiences.
ReplyDeleteI really strive to make the rest times in my family a priority because I want our son not to be dependent on constant commotion.
The notion that simple is best is something that I am getting great joy by pursuing in my life at the moment.
Oh, I love the colorful pants your wee one is wearing. They make me smile.
Laura, yes I so agree with this!!! Taking the time to be at home "at rest" is the most productive time for us, when the children are at their most creative, and me too. So many people today are just rushrushrush all the time and become so overwhelmed with all the action in their lives- children especially seem to be "overprogrammed" these days- I see children who are literally from one activity to the other and they seem so exhausted and drained, probably they don't have enough time to just "do nothing" and have that time for their mind to really think things out. Not that "nothing" is done on these down time days!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post! <3
Elizabeth: thanks, Joa's longies make me grin, I'm thinking of making a matching hat!
ReplyDeleteMel I completely agree, I think many parents fall into the entertainer trap; feeling they constantly have to find things for their kids to do. I think that stops many kids from tapping in to their own imaginative resources, which in turn makes them pester to be entertained. hugs L x
Love all the clay creations and also the little kittens. I too love knitting up kittens. Such a satisfying, easy knit. Enjoy the rest of you week.
ReplyDelete