Slow parenting versus group mania
November 2, 2009
Beautiful day today. Walked down to the seafront this morning, at around 9.3o am and the sea was wild. It was one of those amazingly clear, crisp autumn days, the sun was so bright it almost blinded you bouncing off the sea and the waves just pounded the shore. You could almost feel the raw energy passing right into you. After so many days and weeks of malingering, I felt energised to the point of mania. I wanted to bound around on the rocks and scream at the sea! I wanted to dive in on the crest of a wave, and be thrown about at the mercy of the tides. Owen loved it too! We sat on the sea wall and just soaked it all up, my little man’s face was a beaming picture of happiness. I can’t remember the last time I felt that good. It was an almost religious moment. I knew then that the most important, beautiful moments aren’t planned, aren’t paid for, aren’t written in the diary. I want to do it every morning, but I know that it wouldn’t be the same.
Later today, I read an online article about something called the Continuum Concept, which promotes ’slow parenting’ – as opposed to competitive parenting whereby the child is dragged to baby swimming at 4 weeks (guilty as charged) and basically bribed, blackmailed, cajoled and chivvied into growing up just as fast as he or she can. For a while now I have felt that these groups are less than useful. I stopped the baby swimming, since Owen didn’t really seem to be enjoying it. The music group was a waste of time – and is it really going to hamper his musical development if he doesn’t sit in a circle being sung stupid songs at six months?! I don’t think so. He hated it anyway – whereas he absolutely LOVES me playing guitar to him! It a no-brainer. The only group I do now is baby signing, and even that is starting to seem pointless. Owen and I are building up our own little shared language, and the Sing and Sign group is not particuarly useful. Owen gets bored in it too. So I think I’m going to be investigating the Continuum Concept, and slow parenting, a bit more now! I think the best time is the time we get together when Owen can crawl and cruise around freely, and I sit with him as he plays. He gets really excited when I lie down on the floor, he’ll come charging over and give me a big hug, and probaby a bite too, and then crawl over me or something – but it’s really lovely to see his little face light up – Mummy is coming to join me!! I have to do it much more often. It’s worth it just for that little happy welcoming squeal!
