Guest Post by Kate Blanche
Kate Blanche is first and foremost a mother of four young children. She runs an Organic farm with her husband Michael, and her own fledgling business making custom-blended, luxury Organic skin-care, for private clients.
Kate is a qualified Primary Teacher, with an Honours degree in Physical Education and Outdoor Recreation.
I have been living in Fear for these past few weeks.
Paired Hide and Seek
Yes, I’ve been chasing my kids out into the Great Outdoors. I’m a great believer in that. I have been known to pull the plugs on the vast amounts of gadgetry they have managed to acquire (through my own stupidity). I am forever wailing to them the immortal lines: “ No, you can’t come back in and play on the Xbox! It’s a beautiful day outside; exercise and fresh air will do you good! What do you mean you’re ‘bored’?”
We are so lucky to live in a house on a farm, with it’s own small, private wood, right on our doorstep. Next door is half a mile away and you never see a stranger on our land. Our Dogs that accompany our kids would let us know about that immediately! They are sensible kids too; they look out for each other. I know they are safe from “stranger danger”. They don’t go very far anyway; they are too busy trying to claw the door down at the first sign of a rain cloud! This Scottish Summer , that has meant almost every 10 minutes. This is not because they have an aversion to getting wet, just that the older ones are wily negotiators; they believe they have a case it goes something like this:
Rain cloud= rain= wet.
Therefore, Wet + Wind = Wet,Cold Child= possibility of chill.
Chill possibility + swine flu alert = Susceptibility to Swine Flu.
Fear of Swine Flu + soft mother= Mother’s Potential Guilt
Fear of guilt + Deadlines + soft, harassed mother = Warm glow of Xbox/ T.V.
Well, the answer is obvious- it’s not the weather that’s the problem, it’s the clothing. Much to their annoyance, my youngest always betrays the others by insisting that it’s not cold and just to prove it, she prefers to strip down to nothing instead of adding waterproofs! She does however, like to keep her wellies on for filling them with water purposes ! Her siblings who are then nagged into being appropriately suited and booted, always adjourn to their latest den in the wood, to discuss how they will next present their case.
Watch Dog
We live in a risk averse society, but that’s a whole other blog! No, I haven’t been living in fear because I perceive the Outdoors to be a hot spot for perverts and life threatening injuries, a place where they will pick up soil and die of Toxoplasmosis, somewhere, where my little angels should fear to tread. I have been living in Fear because I might be in danger of becoming a HYPOCRITE.
The questions you should be asking me is “Where were you when your kids were gathering raspberries for the feast they held, in the shelter they built ? Did you frolic in the sunshine or stomp in the puddles? What was your part?”
The truth is this: Recently I have taken on too much. I was getting on with “other things inside”, things that needed “getting on with”..Things that “couldn’t wait” but, with hindsight perhaps should have been left till nightfall, or for a wet, miserable day. No sunshine for me; I have been basking in the bright light of my 17 inch computer screen. TIME TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT MYSELF. Time to get away. Just me, the Husband, the kids and the great out doors!
In the meantime, I have this great book…. it tells you how to make shelters, track animals, forage and build the perfect fire …I hand it to my eldest son Seamas; he’s a scout you know! The others huddle around him.
“Right,” he says “ Mum says if we find the perfect spot for a fire, build it, and start on the shelter on page nine, she’ll be down with the sausages, Marshmallows and matches to light it. Keres! get your clothes back on; you don’t want to get stung by nettles!”
The sausages that went wrong
One hour later they are proudly giving me a tour of their chosen spot- it’s perfect! They’ve even erected a temporary shelter. Through a mouthful of Marshmallow, Calum explains that they that couldn’t be bothered with the instructions. Besides, their creation is better than the one in the book!
The heat of the open fire we gather around is NOTHING in comparison to the intense glow of pride on my face.
I’m eating the SNAIL next!
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
I LOVE THIS POST!
And great pictures too!
A direct account of something so many parents face. As more parents decide to take the plunge and let go of their fears and guilt, more children will be able to rekindle their natural relationship with the Earth.
I’m off to pack shortly, off to the woods at the weekend, sleeping in a bivvi under the stars, smelling the woodsmoke drifting through the trees. I’m so glad my parents helped me to enjoy playing outdoors, and even happier that more parents are doing the same.
Great post. Thank you.