A Gift of Time

I have talked before on the blog about the pressure to rush children. Rush them to get to school, to do their homework, to get dressed, to finish whatever they are doing.


It seems rushing from one place to another has become the norm. Getting everything finished promptly and efficiently. It's so cold and sterile. Speed has definitely become the culture of the workplace but it's more than that now. It's become part of home life and family culture as well.
We have such a routine getting to work and back that every second counts. If another human gets in our way we get angry, as though the whole day has been ruined.
I am happy to say this is not nearly as bad here in Australia as what I have seen in HK. But it's still there.


I have to make a decided effort not to rush the Calves. I easily fall into the trap of hurrying them along when they stop, for the hundredth time to pick up a leaf or kick a rock down the street. What are we hurrying too? Nothing! Only the next step in our day. Will the world come to a crashing end if we don't make it on time? If we don't get there at all? No!
I see parents huff and puff and look at their watch annoyed, as though the very existence of their kids irritates them. I wonder how the kids feel?


When my husband and I decided to Home Educate this was one of the primary reasons why. We have both worked in many schools over the years and had to rush and even stop children from what they are doing, the purposeful learning they are engaged in, just to ensure we arrive at the next programmed step in the day on time.


I used to love Early Childhood over Primary because it didn't happen nearly as much there. The pressure wasn't there. But it is filtering down more and more and Early Learning Environments are being run like little Primary Schools, especially in the high pressure, results driven environments of Asia.


Childhood takes time, learning takes time...doing anything of real value takes time.
Why is my time more valuable than theirs?


I am beginning to see Home Education as a gift of time. Time to choose, time to play, time to daydream and time to grow. If the Calves want to spend a week building a dinosaur garden out of stuff we find around the house, they can. If we want to spend two hours down the beach instead of one, we can. If we want to sleep late and eat breakfast outside on the grass, we can.


So what's the rush? They will be grown and gone soon enough and I intend to enjoy this time.


I have heard of the slow movement... slow food... slower living. I love it! A slower life for me and mine for sure!