New starts, little souls.

It's what all parents are thinking about and talking about. Some have even been dreaming about it since the start of the summer. The kids are starting school again this week.

With it comes the exhilaration at your new found freedom or the sad feeling that the summer together has gone all too soon. And that we will miss not only the sun but the time spent together.

Kids will be lining up to join their old friends again or standing around looking for a familiar friendly face in an overwhelming sea of people. As a parent you always hope that your child will be equipped with the strength and self confidence to deal with any feelings of loneliness or fear. There is no greater gut wrenching moment than when you fear your child is the one feeling like the odd one out or "Billy no mates".

My child is lucky to have had many friends in her class in the last few years.

This year she will be starting a new class, with barely a close friend in it. Not as bad as starting afresh in a new school perhaps but as a mum of a sensitive, bright little girl still a moment of apprehension. Will her old friends soon forget to include her at playtime as new bonds form in the current class? Will she feel like a little lost soul in a class full of friendships carried through from previous years? Perhaps not. Probably not.

She will most likely form new friendships. Add to those formed last year and meet some new friendly faces. That's what we tell each other and encourage her to do.

Building the excitement for her about the new class, new teacher and new friends, I can't help but wonder if we should also mention the fact that if she does find things hard, that is ok too. To not shy away from the hard part that can be school's social life. To prepare her rather than to merely hope that she won't feel lonely or sad sometimes.

For now I will send her off with a little note telling her we all love her and hope she enjoys her lovely new class. Positive thinking with a little love as back up.

Back to school it is. Enjoy everyone!

Comments

Put a lid on it.

As I'm on holiday at the moment and lying by the pool (stick around, I'm going somewhere with this) it's only natural to have a look around at all the people surrounding me. Men, women. All different nationalities, ages and body shapes. I start playing the ranking game. Not very consciously but nevertheless I do it. A woman might be taller and leaner but have a slightly bigger belly. Bigger boobs but chubbier legs. Pretty arms but pasty skin. I think it's a way of confirming my own body shape is not perfect but neither is anyone else's. Would I want to swap one of my flaws for another? I wonder if we were put in a room by ourselves with no one to compare ourselves to or measure against would we be happier to accept who we are? Does the culture to share and compare through magazines, social networking etc. feed into our insecurities or is it a way for us to "like" ourselves by highlighting the areas we like and blurring out those which we don't. I...

Change the tune.

It's been a busy old month. Lots of change, with highs and very lows. But we are looking ahead now. Good things are on the horizon. Plenty of nice things to look forward to. So with that, let's put on some cheerful music, pick some new songs to listen to and get inspired to make it a great summer. Music can change my mood pretty quickly. If I put on a soppy, folky track I can write the most melancholic post ever. Put on a bright, dance tune and I'll skip the writing for a bit of a dance and the energy boost it gives me might result in a clean house (or room at least) or a speedy run. Finding a new favourite song can put me in a great mood and inspire new adventures. Projects will get started and if it's a really good song, the project might actually get finished too. There isn't much more entertaining to my children than me dancing around like a loon in the kitchen while we cook dinner. In contrast a sad song can evoke the strongest emotions. I rememb...

The pool of possibilities. How not knowing your niche makes you valuable.

I was recently asked to think about what my niche is. That whole question was the purpose of this blog when I started it: a place for me to write down my thoughts as I try to find out what it is I’m good at, what my strengths are. A way to discover me and my USP. Turns out, that’s a lot harder to do, when you are the type of person who likes to try new things at a rapid rate and gets bored of them just as quickly. If you read back through my older posts you'll find that I try stuff, invest in it, then move on. You know, the type of person who’s a jack of all trades, master of none. It has a negative connotation, but ask yourself: “What is worse? To never try anything new for fear of not being brilliant or lack of time to become great at it? Or, to learn more about yourself with each new experience gained?” Maybe my niche, my little special party trick, is that I can find enthusiasm for new things, delve into the best way to do it, have a go, then tick it off the list of ...

MEscovery

Search This Blog