Why Mummy, Why?
Many parents have found that being at home with the children for so many days has been an interesting experience (and on some days a very tiring one too!).
When we are all out and about, the pace is so fast it is easy to lose sight of what is happening just before our eyes.
We get caught up in getting things done and, often, we stop watching our young children slowly discover the world around them for the first time.
As parents we are overwhelmed. It sometimes feels like we have so much information coming at us constantly that, yes, we learn how things work but the magic that once mystified us gets lost.
We become engrossed in getting through each day, coping with all the challenges by looking for quick solutions. In the process, we lose our sense of wonder and awe and sometimes we expect our children to lose it too.
But the cocooning (a much nicer word than quarantine) has changed that. As we all slow down, parents are noticing that their children still find the world around them to be magical – an old pot becomes a pirate’s hat and an army of ants crawling up the cupboard door opens the way to a new adventure.
Our young children are finding stories in everything that is around them. They are finding possibility and excitement in the everyday things that we dismiss as dull.
Whilst we forget to be curious, to question and explore what is around us because we are focused on problem-solving, our children are navigating the journey through a different lense.
When no answers are available, we simply dismiss the question and move on to the next one but children are curious and creative.
Why, mummy, why?’
Mummy, why can’t we fly?
Mummy, why is broccoli green?
Mummy, why do we die?
Mummy, how can ants crawl upwards?
The brain of a 5 – 10 year old child is constantly imagining and reshaping the world.
For every unanswered question they find ten possible answers.
Their brains are programmed to think: I SEE – I WONDER.
Perhaps, as grown-ups, it would benefit us to pause more often and to say, ‘Hmmm, I see __________, I wonder what it can become!’
This, applied to our work, our family, our life could open up huge possibilities for us. It could help us release some of the frustration we feel through expectations of ourselves and our children that are too high and instead allow us to enjoy the current moment more.
Our children teach us that sometimes life is not about having the right answer but rather about exploring all the options.
Encouraging our children to be curious allows them to grow into independent adults who are critical thinkers, able to identify challenges and find solutions.
Very often, curiosity also allows our children the joy of accepting that there is no single answer, no real urgency in figuring everything out straight away.
Allowing ourselves, as parents, to be curious may lead us to solutions that we had not previously thought of. It may help us to stay calm and breathe, observe, lean in, breathe again before jumping into a quick fix that may leave us feeling even more frustrated because we do not achieve the outcome we desire.
If you would like to discover how we facilitate this process – Breathe, Observe, Lean In – through storytelling, do join our FB group The Story Solution for Parents , as I will be sharing super valuable insights through a series of live broadcasts over the coming weeks.
Be curious. Make your way to us. We are waiting to welcome you.
On another note, we were so impressed with the stories and pictures that we received in response to our last competition that we simply couldn’t resist launching another one. Check out the details in the poster below and feel free to share it widely. The more the merrier!!
