One of my favourite picture books is called The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonell.
It is quite a challenging book as it reminds us to shut down our monkey minds and just be.
This is an alien concept for many of us and that is why I read it so often. I need this message and I suspect many of you do too!
All children and big people need NOTHING to be whole.
Sometimes we just need to be there for each other and just enjoy nothing.
One of our main intelligences is INTRAPERSONAL intelligence and this cannot be developed without NOTHING time. This means time to do anything or nothing. Time to sit and look at the wall, eat fairy-bread on the front verandah, nap, hang out with each other (or not) and have an empty brain.
When I talk to young people about changes they really wish they could make, TIME always comes up. Kids feel as if they have no spare time- no NOTHING time. We have this crazy idea that any spare time must be used up, planned, another activity, music class, sport fitted in but why?
Are we scared that they will become lazy and miss out on something important?
Actually they ARE missing out on something important!
The time to play, dream, read, build, draw ……ANYTHING they choose!
Give them the gift of NOTHING at least once a week. Be there to share it with them if they wish and if not treat yourself to NOTHING. Be brave- put your phones and I pads and electronic games away. Don’t plan the time. Just see what happens!
Take a NOTHING mental health day occasionally with your kids- no work or school and everyone wears PJs all day and does precisely what they want.
These are the days we can all think, dream and develop ideas. These are the days when we become human rather than frenzied activity robots. These are the days that will be remembered as you all rediscover the joy of NOTHING and EVERYTHING!