"When your child turns 18, graduates school and becomes an adult, you momentarily feel the finality of their childhood. Cue: tears. Endings bring memories to the fore, and rather than reflect on the big celebrations and milestones, I find myself capturing glimpses of the most ordinary days accompanied by a visceral longing for what was: his curious face in the rear-view mirror as I drove, a small hand tugging on my skirt, the lull of his sleepy body curled into mine."
"We are inundated with parenting advice from birth, but no one seems to be talking about the fact that in an increasingly artificial and overwhelming world where most things are immediate, we have to show our children how to be human. We have to remind them that just like the birds, the bugs and the trees, we are nature; nothing about our energy or productivity is robotic. Yet we are conditioned to chase the aspirational; we're always clinging to the next big thing."
Endings of childhood evoke vivid memories of ordinary domestic moments and a visceral longing for what once was. Early parenthood centers on routine and monotony, which offer comfort through the humdrum of home life. Modern culture emphasizes immediacy, aspiration and continuous productivity, teaching children that a packed schedule equals success. This training reduces free play and time in nature, correlating with declining youth mental health and widespread adult burnout and exhaustion. The hippocampus segments days into meaningful chapters, so the details attended to shape memory and identity. Preserving breathing space and unstructured time helps children develop humanity and resilience.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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