What is it about Lego that makes it so appealing to children and adults alike? I was never a huge fan of the masses of plastic toys that seemed to multiply in my house when I had children. I opted for wooden versions where possible and when it wasn't possible I went for toys with an off switch. When it comes to Lego though, I am perfectly happy to have bucket loads of the stuff (preferably kept in their buckets and not strewn all over the floor). Of course like most parents, I have cursed Lego from a great height when a sharp piece has become lodged in my bare foot but for the most part I am a big fan.
We had Lego at home when I was a child and I suppose happy childhood memories drew me to the first set of chunky Duplo I bought for my own children. As they grew we moved on to the smaller sized Lego and were lucky enough to inherit a large box to get us going. Birthdays and Christmases have added to the collection. While the box sets are always popular, the model on the box only seems to get made once or maybe twice before the bricks are consigned to the great big jumble of the Giant Lego Tub, never to be re-united in quite that configuration again.
One of the main things I liked about Lego was that it was a toy for everyone. It wasn't a girl toy or a boy toy, it was just a toy that anyone of any age could play with. As a parent of one girl and one boy, it annoys me no end to see colour coded toy aisles and marketing campaigns aimed at forcing children and parents to think they need to have gender specific versions of toys. Even before my son was born, I tended to opt for the non-pink version of toys for my daughter. I have tried to encourage both kids to play with all the toys we have available and let them decide themselves what they like to play with.
When Lego brought out the Friends pink & purple sets aimed primarily at girls I was so disappointed. It just seemed like a really cynical marketing move. I get that there presumably was a gap in the market as it seems to have been pretty successful but I just wish they had figured out a different way to do it. Why should boys get the sets where they play with firefighters and superheroes when girls get the sets with the puppy grooming parlour and figures whose only job seems to be accessorising their outfits? Even the Elves set is better as at least they are characters in their own world.
I point blank refuse to buy it, which sometimes makes me unpopular but it just grates to support such blatant segregation. We do have some of the Friends stuff but only because my daughter was given it as presents (mostly from people who don't know me that well and have obviously not yet heard my anti pink Lego rant). Perhaps that makes me a supporter by association but I'm not militant or rude enough to force my personal principles on others, particularly not in the middle of a small child's birthday party. So for now I will continue my little boycott by refusing to buy the Friends sets and sneakily hiding all the pink blocks down the bottom of the tub....
When I started this blog and was trying to decide on a name, I googled various blogs and websites which shared the name. One of them (based not too far from me) had the following advice which I have been trying to embrace (with thanks to Sarah from awaywithwords):
1. Believe that you’re interesting
This has been the trickiest one for me. The last three years have seen my confidence at it's lowest for a long, long time. I didn't realise how much of my identity and self confidence was tied up with what I did for a living or more accurately the fact that I was in paid employment. When I first moved here I chose not to work so I could settle the kids into life in a new country and starting a new crèche and school. Once they were all set it became the case that there were no jobs available in my field so I was out of work but not by choice. I have nothing but admiration for people who choose to stay at home with their children. I have nothing but empathy for people who have that choice foisted upon them. It can be the least fun, most tiring, under appreciated way to spend a day. Of course there are plus sides too but it just wasn't for me. Anyway, I digress. I started blogging as a way to get my brain working again. I started with a private blog for my family and friends, a nice soft audience if you will. Then earlier this year I decided I was going to go public, a process I found very nerve wracking. I channeled by inner 25 year old (the most confident age I can remember being, at 21 you think you know it all but you know nothing, at 23 you realise what an idiot you were at 21, by 25 you have things sussed), took a deep breath and hit post. Most of the time I post whatever happens to come into my head. Once you stop analysing everything and believe that you have a voice worth hearing it becomes much easier to write.
2. Be realistic
I had great intentions initially of posting every few days but then a week or two would go by with nothing and I would feel guilty. So rather than adding another thing to my to do list and making the blog into a chore, I figured I would just post when the mood took me and if it didn't well sure what harm.
3. Carry a notepad
I am a fan of notebooks as a rule so this was an easy suggestion to adopt. Countless times ideas have popped into my head and I would think, oh I'll remember that and post it later. Later would arrive only to find me blankly trying to recall what gem I had come up with earlier to no avail. I keep one beside the bed as I often have random thoughts first thing in the morning while I am trying to psych myself up to get out of bed (it can take a while these frosty mornings).
4. It doesn’t have to be a novel
This is a really helpful tip, particularly when trying to get started. Knowing that I can keep it short and sweet conversely seems to give the floodgates permission to open.
5. Love your blog
Once I chilled out about how regularly I posted, I started to enjoy the blog more. When it became something I could do rather than something I felt I had to do, it became easier to commit time to it.
6. Share it
This was another hard one for me, tied up with the confidence thing I suppose but there's really not much point in having a public blog if no-one sees it.
I am usually more of a fiction reader but lately I seem to be hitting up the non-fiction shelves. Not sure if it's that the fiction I am reading is not really holding my attention or if I have just stumbled onto books whose topics interest me. I always wondered at people who could read two books at once, probably because I presumed them both to be fiction. Somehow at the moment I have three books on the go, which is very unlike me.
When I was younger I always finished every book I started, even if I didn't particularly enjoy it, it was like a point of principle. Then I realised that life is way too short for me to read all the books I actually want to read so why would I waste time on books that I didn't enjoy? Now I'm pretty ruthless. If a book is not grabbing me after the first few chapters, back down the library returns chute it goes. I'm also a pretty accomplished skim reader (yes, yes the clouds tumbled overhead like mascara stained cotton balls, get on with it).
I'm thinking of starting a book club but need to settle on a few books I would like to read first. At home I used to get my book wish list from reviews I would read in the weekend papers but the books that get reviewed in my local paper here rarely make it onto my wish list. So I'm looking for recommendations. What was the last good book you read?
Talking about book clubs reminded me of something I saw recently on Waterford Whispers which cracked me up. I do plan to read some books in book club, honestly!!
Mindfulness is something I've heard about sporadically over the last few years, from reading articles and from friends who have done mindfulness courses. I tended to think of it as something that required lots of time and quiet, neither of which I have a large supply of.
The title of this book appealed to me and I quite like Ruby Wax, particularly when she's discussing a more weighty topic. I started out well, faltered a bit on the scientific how the brain works part and then sailed through to the end. The personal anecdotes were a nice touch and I liked the conversational tone of the book. It includes notes for a 6 week mindfulness course. I did try some of the exercises but like any form of exercise, not everything is going to appeal to everyone. It's good to try out a variety so you can pick and choose which are going to work best for you as an individual. I liked the way that there wasn't a presumption that everyone would automatically like doing every activity. There were options if you were a gym person, someone who commutes to work, basically anywhere you could possibly grab a couple of minutes to focus and there was a mindfulness exercise to fit.
I've been doing yoga for a while now so quite a few of the exercises were familiar to me. I was already practicing mindfulness without even realising - bonus! The main things I took from the book was that it is important to find the time to stop, take a breath and spend a minute or two mentally checking in to see how you are doing that day. Mental health is often neglected and it can have such a huge impact on every other aspect of our lives so its never a waste of time to make sure your mind is in good shape. In this age of having it all, yolo, fomo and all the other ones that end in o, we should all be a bit nicer to ourselves and each other. No-one is perfect so why should I be any different?
I was looking for a different book when I came across this one. I think I spend enough time with my kids but have been thinking lately about the quality of the time I spend with them. So I thought I would give this book a go. I've only read the first few chapters so far and I will admit I did have to filter out some of more happy clappy suggestions and the God stuff but it's never a bad idea to consider a new way to do things even when you don't agree with everything the author puts forward.
I did well the first day. I stayed well clear of the laptop (my device of choice) and spent time with the kids helping them to put together a model dinosaur. Day two I still avoided technology but got on with a few more household chores because at the end of the day, everyone still needs clean clothes and dinner. Day three and yep, I'm back on the laptop. We've had a friend staying so I've had two late week nights and I'm feeling a bit lacking in energy. Let's face it, it's more pleasant to hide behind the screen than interact with two cantankerous children. But that's really the point isn't it, to change old habits and get out from behind the laptop.
So after a cup of tea and a sneaky piece of chocolate to fuel me out of my afternoon slump, I gathered the kids together to start planning a crazy hat for crazy hat day in school. All the grumpy griping disappeared and they got really involved in coming up with ideas for how the hat could be decorated and what materials they could use to do it. It only took some occasional steering from me and they worked away happily themselves. By giving a little of my time and attention, the grumpy shouty afternoon that had been ahead of us was neutralised and instead, all three of us had a productive and pleasant afternoon. This hands free mama lark may be worth exploring more.
