Already?

I can’t believe that it has started already. Here it is just a few days into September and it has started. Looking back now it started a few days ago but in a more subtle less direct approach. Adverts appeared on the telly for large tins of chocolates, buy one get one free. Nothing too suspicious about that you might say. But then today I pop into my local convenience store for some bread and milk and whilst looking around I spot some chocolate snowmen for sale, I tut and think to myself not already surely? Then I go to the gym for a swim, all very nice and when I finished I went into the gyms café for a coffee. Out of the corner of my eye I catch a flashing, twinkling light, drawn to it I turn to see what it is. To my horror it is a Christmas tree with twinkly fairy lights and presents wrapped in brightly coloured metallic paper nestled underneath.

It’s September.

As you may be aware from previous entries I love Christmas, I really do. But I can’t stand it when people start it so early. I can forgive supermarkets getting Christmas goods in early, people need to spread the cost and buy bits and pieces over a period of time. But do we really need to start decorations quite so early?
One of the things that, at least used to make Christmas so special and magical was the fact that it happened just once a year, (thankfully that hasn’t changed) and that it was just one or two, maybe three special days with a couple of weeks leading up to it. Now with decorations and lights being displayed so early in the year it takes the sparkle of it. You become desensitised to it, you get used to seeing the decorations, the tinsel, the fairly lights and the fake snow and it starts to become tedious and dull.
Look at it this way, when a bride walks down the aisle in a beautiful white wedding dress it takes your breath away, she looks beautiful. Had she been wearing the dress every day for the last three months leading up to that special day it wouldn’t be quite so amazing and part of the magnificence and beauty would have been removed.

We could all do with a little more magic in our lives; lets not destroy the one time of the year that gives it to us.
Christmas is one of the most magical times of the year for adults and children alike. Wanting to prolong the magic is understandable, but in doing so you are actually lessening the experience.
Love Christmas; immerse yourself in it and all of its splendour and wonderment. Let’s have a full colour Christmas not something that has been drawn out and dulled into greys and blacks.

Who, what, why, where, when, how?

I went for a swim today, as I often do and as I was getting changed overheard a conversation between a grandfather and his grand daughter, whom I am estimating to have been between two or three years old, but could be completely wrong, when it comes to guessing ages, especially that of children I am next to useless. Anyway she was of an age to be talking, obviously, and also required these new fangled swimming nappies that I have seen you can get. Judging from the conversation between them they had just been to the shop and purchased said nappy and from the sound of it were unable to buy the size they would normally get, the grand daughter was inquiring why they couldn’t buy the normal size and the grand father tried to explain that they were sold out. The conversation flowed pretty much as follows:

Grandfather: “We had to get the medium because they didn’t have the large in”
Grand daughter: “Why?”

GF “Because they had run out”
GD: “Why?”

GF: “Because other people have brought them and they have not had any more come in”
GD: “Why?”

GF: “Because the man who comes round in a van has not been yet.”
GD: “The man in the van? Why?”

GF: “Yes, he’s probably very busy.”
GD: “Why?”

GF: “He has to drive to lots of shops.”
GD: “Why?”

And so the conversation continued in much the same vein, the child constantly asking for more and more information, I’m sure those of you that are parents can relate to this kind of conversation and have had many similar. The inquisitive nature of a child’s mind is phenomenal, at this age they are like a sponge, absorbing every tiny thing around them, always wanting to know more, never accepting something at face value but always wanting that little bit more information. Everything is new to them and they are excited to learn about it and discover exactly how things tick. The learning potential for a child is exceptional, teachers of any description will generally tell you the best time to learn anything is when you are a child and your brain is still open and receptive to new information. Just think how much information they are taking on in their early years, from learning to speak to discovering the everyday objects around them.

I have often, as an adult attempted to learn something new and struggled, I often wish I could roll the years back and learnt all the things I wish I could do now then. Take musicians as an example, those that play instruments that are supremely talented and the top of their field have generally been playing or learnt to play as a child, of course the amount of years playing goes a long way to them becoming as great as they are now but having started so young must have been a very large contributing factor to the talent they now have.

I’m sure we have all seen the pushy parents attempting to get their children interested in something, whether it be piano lessons, beauty pageants or general studies, and all frowned in disapproval, but I think as parents we should be active in our children’s lives and at least they are. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t approve of the extremes that are often showcased on television, where nothing else seems to matter to the parent than the next talent show or competition, where I’m sure we often think it’s the parent trying to live their youth again through their children. In these cases the parents in question seems completely oblivious to what the child actually wants just as much, possibly even more so than the parent that ignores their child or takes little interest in them, instead they have gone to the extreme so much so that the child just becomes a cog in the machine to win the prize or achieve the acclamation.

There was a common saying when I was growing up, which I can clearly remember my grand mother saying, that a child should be seen and not heard. What complete and utter nonsense. I just hope that this has not been passed down through the generations and has been left in the past where it truly belongs. A child should be cherished and treasured; they are not merely trophies to be exhibited when the vicar comes to tea. We need to take heed of the children in our lives, listen to them as we would our peers or elders, do not disregard there needs and requests. We should attempt to fill their lives with as much as possible to help them grow into the adults we would like them to be, encourage them in all that they do, introduce them to as much as humanly possible so they at least know it’s there in the first place, a child that is not aware of the piano will not show interest in one, make it available to them and if they welcome it all the better, if they do not then so be it, but at least they are aware of its existence. Give your child every opportunity that maybe you weren’t, and if they show a desire for something then encourage it and maybe you will find your childs natural talent that will not only enrich their lives but yours too.

Give the sponge water to be absorbed.