Living in the Moment...

photography: Loren Stow

Because of the way their brains are wired, babies and young children live from moment to moment and consequently have little concern for what's going to happen later or what happened earlier. For them it's all about now.

As adults, living in the moment can be very difficult to achieve... in fact there are entire philosophies and 'self-help' books dedicated to 'Living in the Now'. If it was easy to live in the moment, we wouldn't be spending to much time trying to achieve it!

The important thing about being a parent living in the moment is firstly that you are able to appreciate and therefore share and communicate with your child all the wonderful sights, sounds, smells, textures and tastes of the experience - most of which you'd miss if you weren't firmly grounded in the moment. And secondly, you are able to fully appreciate the emotions that go along with what's going on around you. In both instances, of course, you are sharing these sensory and emotional treasures with your little one.

So, while you're trying hard to get your toddler ready to leave the house on a Saturday morning, rushing here and there to get bags packed, food ready, bottles filled - planning for the next couple of hours you'll be out, your toddler is living happily in the moment, wanting to explore and learn and have fun.

A fantastic tool that will help you stay in the present moment with your child is the same tool that helps bring logic to your child's world and decodes his experiences - talking.

The importance of talking to your child constantly - running a commentary - on what you and they are doing, thinking and feeling and what's going on around them, cannot be underestimated (if you missed the post about this go here).

Talking shapes your child's understanding of the world and - voila! - it's a great tool for keeping you firmly grounded in the present moment (even if that moment is about throwing the washing in the basket, filling a bottle of water or packing a bag).

So, keep talking and you'll have found the key to staying right in the moment with your child.

Words: Loren Stow

when we know better... we do better


*Practica Parents: Make sure to choose your activities for the week ahead of time. This will make it easier for you to weave it into your everyday lifestyle, from one moment to the next. By doing brain-building activities while you're eating, bathing or having fun with your child, you adding the sensory experiences and the emotion to the activity which makes it so much more effective.

If you would like to be emailed when the blog is updated, please send an email to lizette@practicaprogram.co.za