If eliminating all risk is the way to keep our children safe then absolute safety would be assured by putting them in a comfortable box. Of course, this is not sustainable! By realigning our intent to a wider frame of immersing our children in nature as an essential ingredient for their optimal development, we then lift our children free from those boxes.
When we trust nature; we trust ourselves and our children. The experience becomes lighter and more joyful. Play is freed from legislation and the constant monitoring that our safety parenting requires. When we follow the lead of our young children and then push ourselves just past our comfort zones, we find the path of trust shining before us like a well lit series of beacons, beckoning us on, ever further to exploring outside those boxes.
In the raising of my children, I have followed this process and have received many flowers from it. Each step of the way is clear when I follow their lead. If I think too far ahead, it can become very frightening. Once while spotting my toddler balancing on a wall, I had a sudden realisation that this could lead to him climbing a high bridge as an older boy; instantly fear threatened to overcome me and I wanted to get him down and put him in that box. By following my children's lead, one step at a time; I will breathe through these random fears as they come up. When I stay in the moment, these irrational fears disappear, in this case, the present reminded me that he was still small and the universe was supporting us in his venture across the wall. Bridges in the future would be made safer by this very act of trusting and empowering his body and spirit now, as he had shown was his desire.
Fear is all in our head and so is the need for safety. Paying attention in the moment provides all the safety we ever need. Our babies come to us with trust as a natural and fully functioning aspect of their love for us. When we give it back to them, we complete the circuit between ourselves and the higher power. Now we are activating ancestors, angels, fairies, and all unseen elements that connect us ever more deeply with ourselves.
We are limited also by our collective understanding of safety and children. In some cultures, babies grow up in trees, on boats and are absolutely safe in their environments. Scientific studies too have proved that babies have inbuilt faculties for keeping them safe which are activated by experiential learning. By design our babies learn about the world through their early explorations.
I have always used sound to convey levels of danger and extra caution required by my babies. Modern parenting tells young children that a pot belly stove, for example, is always dangerous because it might be hot. My children grew learning that the environment around them was ever changing; sometimes the pot belly stove was hot, other times they could open the door and play with the ash, other times the ash was too hot: it changes. The only thing that never changed was electricity which I always indicated to my babies was dangerous. Any power point, socket or gas appliance knob that they showed interest in was met with strong danger noises from me. As they got older I told them an invisible snake lives in there.
On one hand my babies had a natural respect for their environment and would daily meet things in it with new found curiousity. On the other hand, I organised my home and life so that they were never out of my sight. In keeping with indigenous parenting, the village arrangement gave toddlers freedom to explore their surroundings with the constant observation of their family members. Here is the real key to safety; mother/ baby bonds provide intuitive connection that extends throughout the wider family group. Earth parenting fosters this consciously, understanding that we as individuals flourish when we are deeply connected with our family group. When we lived close to nature, we also lived closer to eachother. This can be recreated in our modern living simply by understanding how important it is.
I have borrowed another indigenous understanding which underpins my every moment and that is that my shadow is death and my children's shadows are their death too. This knowing leaves me attentive at all times, grateful and ready to bless or pray in a moment because I know how precious life is. And life is to be lived! So cast away safety as a barrier to your children's lives and release them with the understanding that you can't escape your shadow, only let it keep you in the present moment. Disrespect comes from not allowing experiences to happen, foster connection and love's light will cast small shadows for your children as they enjoy their amazing lives.
Connected by MOTOBLUR™
When we trust nature; we trust ourselves and our children. The experience becomes lighter and more joyful. Play is freed from legislation and the constant monitoring that our safety parenting requires. When we follow the lead of our young children and then push ourselves just past our comfort zones, we find the path of trust shining before us like a well lit series of beacons, beckoning us on, ever further to exploring outside those boxes.
In the raising of my children, I have followed this process and have received many flowers from it. Each step of the way is clear when I follow their lead. If I think too far ahead, it can become very frightening. Once while spotting my toddler balancing on a wall, I had a sudden realisation that this could lead to him climbing a high bridge as an older boy; instantly fear threatened to overcome me and I wanted to get him down and put him in that box. By following my children's lead, one step at a time; I will breathe through these random fears as they come up. When I stay in the moment, these irrational fears disappear, in this case, the present reminded me that he was still small and the universe was supporting us in his venture across the wall. Bridges in the future would be made safer by this very act of trusting and empowering his body and spirit now, as he had shown was his desire.
Fear is all in our head and so is the need for safety. Paying attention in the moment provides all the safety we ever need. Our babies come to us with trust as a natural and fully functioning aspect of their love for us. When we give it back to them, we complete the circuit between ourselves and the higher power. Now we are activating ancestors, angels, fairies, and all unseen elements that connect us ever more deeply with ourselves.
We are limited also by our collective understanding of safety and children. In some cultures, babies grow up in trees, on boats and are absolutely safe in their environments. Scientific studies too have proved that babies have inbuilt faculties for keeping them safe which are activated by experiential learning. By design our babies learn about the world through their early explorations.
I have always used sound to convey levels of danger and extra caution required by my babies. Modern parenting tells young children that a pot belly stove, for example, is always dangerous because it might be hot. My children grew learning that the environment around them was ever changing; sometimes the pot belly stove was hot, other times they could open the door and play with the ash, other times the ash was too hot: it changes. The only thing that never changed was electricity which I always indicated to my babies was dangerous. Any power point, socket or gas appliance knob that they showed interest in was met with strong danger noises from me. As they got older I told them an invisible snake lives in there.
On one hand my babies had a natural respect for their environment and would daily meet things in it with new found curiousity. On the other hand, I organised my home and life so that they were never out of my sight. In keeping with indigenous parenting, the village arrangement gave toddlers freedom to explore their surroundings with the constant observation of their family members. Here is the real key to safety; mother/ baby bonds provide intuitive connection that extends throughout the wider family group. Earth parenting fosters this consciously, understanding that we as individuals flourish when we are deeply connected with our family group. When we lived close to nature, we also lived closer to eachother. This can be recreated in our modern living simply by understanding how important it is.
I have borrowed another indigenous understanding which underpins my every moment and that is that my shadow is death and my children's shadows are their death too. This knowing leaves me attentive at all times, grateful and ready to bless or pray in a moment because I know how precious life is. And life is to be lived! So cast away safety as a barrier to your children's lives and release them with the understanding that you can't escape your shadow, only let it keep you in the present moment. Disrespect comes from not allowing experiences to happen, foster connection and love's light will cast small shadows for your children as they enjoy their amazing lives.
Connected by MOTOBLUR™
