All tagged raising boys
Well, I finally did it. When I first decided to start writing this blog, I set myself a goal to write an article every week, for one entire year. It’s not always been easy, or convenient. I’ve often struggled for ideas, energy and time. But here it is- one year of articles. Done.
It seems impossible, but just like that… it’s the end of the year again. I'm sitting in amassage chair, with my feet soaking in a foot spa waiting for a pedicure; contemplating life. It’s just what you do at this time of the year. You think about the year gone by, and start dreaming about the year ahead.
There are many things that little boys are good at. They’re good at making friends and making noise. They’re great at picking noses, scabs and fights…. But the thing they tend to do best, is GROW.
Every now and again, something beautiful just catches your breath.
It’s Sunday evening; the kids and I were all on the lounge room floor labelling books for the start of the school year tomorrow. In the background I was playing some of my classical favourites. I love all types of music, and my long suffering neighbours can probably verify that the boys are exposed to everything from Broadway musicals to 90s grunge, to the great rock gods of the 70s and hipster acoustics remakes of everything in between.
knew something wasn't quite right. Despite being completely dedicated, my third son was having a serious struggle learning to read. It didn’t seem to matter how hard he tried, or how much we helped him- words on a page remained a puzzle.
When you’re a writer you’re not supposed to be lost for words.
I’ve been away for a week- and it occurred to me a few days ago, that in being away from my children, I may not have anything to write about. What could I teach them, if I'm not even there?
A very important lesson- as it turns out.
The sky this week has been an endless dome of blue during the day, and a breathtaking spray of stars at night. I was out one evening walking, when I happened to look up. The humbling and indefinite expanse of universe, as seen from my little street, stopped me in my tracks.
I can’t believe it had never occurred to me to try. I suppose I assumed there was no way that four boys would sit quietly and not fidget madly through a ten minute meditation. But after what we experienced this week, it's crazy we hadn’t done it sooner.
I have driven past the sign under the bridge dozens of times without giving it much thought- when out of the blue, it suddenly made sense.
The more I think about it the bigger it gets.
Styled like concrete graffiti under the Story Bridge, the mural was commissioned by the University of Queensland in 2009 as part of the Living Cities program….
It always astounds me that whilst our education system happily covers topics such as the use of synonyms and the patterns of continental climate… that it generally fails to deliver much substance across more hands on, real world subjects such as financial planning, relationships or personal development. God forbid we teach our children something they might actually use.
