Thoughts on how life changes as the kids grow up and pics from Sussex half-term holiday

It’s funny, I’ve always thought that life gets less busy as the kids get older. How wrong was I. In some ways, that is true. The busy-ness of doing everything for the little ones become less demanding as they get bigger and more able to do things for themselves. All those years of nappy changes, feeding, potty training, endless attempts to get out of the house to get somewhere on time, relentless bugs and illnesses as they build up their immunity, sleep deprivation, snotty noses, trips to the GP and hospitals, wading through the house knee-deep in toys and clutter and the ever-growing mountain of washing… They end to a certain degree at a certain point. Except the mountain of washing. That just increases in width and height as their clothes get bigger.

But as they grow into their own unique personalities and characters, it’s a new kind of busy. They are able to comprehend a lot more of the world around them, make their own friends and find their way in the outside world aka school. Their bodies are changing, their brains are developing, as are their emotions. The demands are no longer the physical things they require done for them like when they were little, but they are now deeper, more abstract and complex. And thus requiring stability, security, time. As a parent this not only means being present physically, but more to the point, this spells Quality Time with each child, making sure you are there for their uniqueness and different needs, you have their full attention when some issue that they can’t easily explain arises, and that in spite of their newfound knowledge and degrees of independence, they are assured they are still your babies at heart. And that never changes.

And of course there’s the myriad of activities that they do, some are not because they have to but because they love to like ballet, football, chess, after school clubs and the like. These shape their growth, encourage their interests and boost their confidence. Some activities are perhaps not loved instantly so much but you want them to participate in these activities for their own good. Activities that instil commitment, discipline and perseverance….like learning the piano or learning other musical instruments. And in the middle of all these, you are there for them and they are confident that they have been released into new things with their parent’s watchful eye and yet they can enjoy new freedoms within that knowledge.

These are just a few reasons why the busy-ness of being a parent never stops. It’s never constant either and is characterised by ever changing seasons of growth. I must say I enjoy these “older” seasons a lot more. Less snotty noses and only occasional trips to the GP top the list. These photos were taken during our half-term break last October in a caravan park in Sussex. Good times to treasure always.

As I write this, I am mindful of many parents who have more challenging circumstances caring for their little ones with persistent medical conditions. Our lovely friends – the Cariazos – come to mind and the mighty little Elijah so bravely battling through year after year and winning. His super parents Onessa and Jaroume do an amazing job every second of the day – this family is beyond awesome!

One of their friends is running the London Marathon to raise funds for Elijah so he can either get a hoist {to enable him to go out and about and see more of the outside world beyond the 4 walls of his home} or to take him to Disneyland. Please pledge what you can as this is an all or nothing crowdfunder so that if the target isn’t met not a single penny will be raised. Thank you very much, And please share on.