I often find treasure in the Huff. It is a good place to go to when the bad news gets a bit too much to bear.
It is one of the places I like to have a look through regularly to find intelligent editorial.
Well heck I certainly can't find it in any of Australia's print newspapers anymore (although I am LOVING this very new paper - I do hope it lasts......)
Anyway.....as I read through this article I found myself nodding and maybe even doing a bit of a fist-pump here and there (I was hiding at home in my office so I was only embarrassing myself).
It came after a night where I marvelled as I watched my kids playing the simple card game of SNAP at the dinner table together & the joy that playing that simple game brang to my crew.
But do you know what it was that I loved so very much?
It was this one sentence......
"Childhood is inherently magical, even when it is not perfect."
Yup. Nail hit on head.
I love it because it takes away this recurring theme that we seem to surround ourselves with as parents, that the more we provide in terms of stuff and things and big celebrations and better this and that, the better and richer childhood we are giving to our children.
It takes away the notion that the way we 'deliver' childhood to our children is somehow better or richer or more magical than someone else's way.
And maybe most importantly of all it takes away the need for parenting to be a competition and leaves the child to take charge in forging their own path a bit more.
I think people are starting to swing back around to paring things back a bit, taking things back to the simple. Have you noticed this turn too?
I think it is a healthy thing. For us parents and most beneficially of all for our children.
We need to give our children time and space and they will create the magic.
CHILDREN are what make childhood magical.
They inherently wonder, they inherently invent, they inherently question, they inherently imagine.
It is not the 'stuff' we buy them that makes this happen.
It is the way children make what they already have into something magical.
It is the rug over a chair that turns it into a castle, it is Mummas shoe that turns them into a Queen, it is the dirt that turns into magic soup, it is the tree that turns into a precariously high fort, it is the bedsheet that turns them into a ghost.
THEY are what create childhood. It's not by buying the latest and greatest toy or by giving a super dooper fancy schmancy birthday party.
It is created by the singular and most wondrous thing of all- the creative genius that is the mind of a child.
As parents maybe we need to step right on back and let our kids do more of the creating & give ourselves more time to watch them enjoying their childhood instead of spending all our time worrying we are doing it wrong.
I think we need to stop trying to make it all sparkly and perfect and let it be wonky and wobbly. Where is the magic in perfect?
We can make our children's childhood amazing by giving up trying to create it for them and give them the time and space to create it themselves.
Because childhood in itself is amazing.
SPINACH and CHEESE rolls:
I made these last night for dinner. Served with a delicious green salad for a super filling and hearty vegetarian meal.
Really is anything wrapped in Puff pastry NOT delicious?
One of my lot has taken them to school to eat cold for lunch today too.
EASY & delicious and can be frozen to pull out on those "OMG I haven't made dinner yet' moments.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED (makes 4 large rolls) :
- 1 x 250g packet frozen spinach
- 2 sheets puff pastry
- 150g grated cheese
- 150g crumbled fetta cheese
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 eggs (reserve a little bit for basting the pastry)
- S& P
Preheat oven to 200C
Mix all ingredients (not the puff pastry!) in a large bowl.
Cut the puff pastry sheets in half.
Spoon mixture into the centre of each pastry sheet, roll over and tuck in so all of the stuffing is tucked in nicely.
Place baking paper onto an oven tray.
Turn over so the joint seam is on the bottom & lay the rolls onto the baking paper.
Brush with egg wash & sprinkle with sesame seeds if you are feeling fancy!
Bake for 25-30 mins or until nicely browned.
Remove and eat or cool and freeze ready to pop out for emergency meals!