Last week for the first time in seven and a half months I was able to go in through the gate at my children’s after school care. What a privilege.
I heard kids laughing, fighting, getting excited; I saw them running, doing handstands, lying on the floor; I saw different faces, different heights, I saw different school bags.
Sounds so normal but I had missed all of this kerfuffle. Only really seeing my own two, but not seeing them in their world.
I had a realisation that this moment in the day is very important to me. Usually racing around to a tight timeline, I hadn’t realised this before. The moment of pick up is not just about seeing them again after a long day and taking them home, it is about transition. The transition between school and home. Transition through their space. For months I had had to wait at the gate, sanitise, phone the centre and then wait.
Sometimes I waited impatiently, thinking about the next task on my to do list of life.Sometimes I felt frustrated that they were a bit grumpy when they saw me whereas I had been so excited to see them…but I never knew what they had come from, not knowing If they had been giggling or jumping…all I saw was two tired kids walking slowly towards me with big heavy backpacks on. I tried to engage but the questions were often answered with a drawn out monotonous ‘good’. So off we went to the next task.
But this day, when I in was in their space, I did not have to ask any questions. I could see for myself and they could see me seeing them. I was not impatient, I was soaking it up. Waiting for them to be ‘ready’ to come to me, noticing what they had been doing the second before I arrived, and then being able to continue this, finding out more, joining in, being included.
I am glad for these realisations, but COVID-19 can go away now…please.
Love Stripes & Trees xxx
Stripes & Trees 