When I was growing up, winters were busy: school and studying, extracuricular activities: sports, music, languages and more…
But my parents had a ”golden rule” for my and my brother : no studying and not structured activities during holidays and especially during summer holidays.
We were only enjoying our selves by doing nothing…
But it was not exactly nothing: we had time to swim…endless hours in the sea discovering, snorkelling, playing, relaxing…
We had time to stargaze, to watch the moon and the stars, to talk…to dream…
We had time to just look at the sea and listen at the sound of the waves…
We had time to nap after a long day at the beach
We had time to go pick up figs from the trees
We had time to climb trees
We had time to play with other kids outdoors
We had time to get bored
We had time to have the best time of our lives
We had time to listen to the Cicadas singing and observing them on the trees
We had time to ride our bikes
We had time to rest
We had time to read books
We had time to learn how to cook
We had time to make new friends
Only now I am thinking: it’s not because we had time…it’s because we made time… we freed up space for us, for our well being, without realizing we were doing it…
And now for my children we ” follow ”the same ”rule”: doing nothing during summer holidays…althouhg this ”nothing” is everything…
We don’t set any rules, we just tell them the day is free to do what they want… even ”nothing”…
and then they swim, play, discover, explore, read, even doing revisions of school material without any reminder or any expectation…but they also do ”nothing”… without a constant stress to achieve. to deliver…just enjoying being… right or wrong ? i am not an expert to say but i see they still progress at their own pace and rythm, learning becomes easier because it is fun…a life without being in constanst hurry or stress to prove something…their last passion: urchins: by observing them and seeing them in the sea they learned a lot about them and contiued learning by reading… no tests, no deadlines, just pure joy of learning…not in a hurry but in peace…and knowledge that lasts…
So this summer try to bring a bit of the doing ”nothing” way of life to your lifestyle to see if it is good for you and your children and rest well, take care of yourselves and recharge…wishing you a nice rest of the summer doing ”nothing”’…
