Hi! I am thrilled to have this opportunity to swap posts for a day with the fantastic Wheel Education. Reading through their blog was fascinating and painted a vivid picture of a lifestyle that would be unheard of on our little island. I am slightly envious of their opportunities to explore and to learn as they travel!
I am a 40 year old married mum of 4. We've had a tough few years, battling serious illness and accidents which has resulted in a total lifestyle change for us. I started blogging as a way to document our new life.
Circumstances have forced us to move to a more rural location and as an unexpected result we have changed our general outlook on life considerably. Despite our initial fears we can honestly say that it has been a change for the better.
In some ways the way our family live now is reminiscent of my childhood in the 70s. The children have much more freedom to play and explore than they did in our previous home. I've always loved the idea of 'free range' children, of letting them play outside and explore. To allow them to make their own entertainment. Sadly as times and attitudes have changed it seems that these ideas are now somewhat frowned upon.
The nearby forest
We now live near to a wonderful forest. The 3 elder children go out and play in the street, at the park or in the forest. Exploring and building dens, quite often free from the beady eyes of their parents. All the children in the neighbourhood play out together and look out for each other. If any of my brood do something naughty one of their pals is straight at the door to report the misdemeanour!
Off on an adventure!
Of course I worry that they will hurt themselves but I have to balance that against the opportunity to learn that this freedom gives them. How will they know their limits if they never push their boundaries? How will they know what amazing things they are capable of if they don't have the chance to at least try? It is sad that so many children today live sedentary lives, glued to their games consoles and not exploring their surroundings.
We love to get out and about at the weekend and to explore our surroundings. We all pile into the car with the dog with no particular end game. it adds to the excitement when we don't have any set plans and see where our mood takes us.
Enjoying the great outdoors
Arts and crafts also play a large part in our lives. It is a great way to explore their creativity and to learn through play. I personally use paper craft and sewing as a way to express myself and to relax. There is nothing like the satisfaction of knowing you made the art on the wall or the bag your children is carrying. We like to do projects as a family and the children often have a part in any larger projects.
Making pom poms
Our next project is to start growing some vegetables for ourselves. It is very much a case of stabbing in the dark but we will have fun learning and discovering what works and what doesn't.
Life is very much for living and gaining new experiences. I would hate to look back in a few years time and say that we hadn't tried something out. Life is an adventure!
For more post from Life as we know it … check out her blog at LifeAsWeKnowIt
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