What has happened to just 'Hanging out with Mum?'

From what I see around me there are (mostly) mothers (some fathers) who are whizzing around the country 'filling' their childrens days with classes after school, before school, tiny babies going off to nursery, staying at home with nannies, doing anything other than just hanging out with mum. But isn't this what is vital for what children need to promote a healthy emotional mind? Rudolf Steiner suggested that upto the age of 7 children are in the phase of imitation. So do we ever slow down enough to question who are our children imitating if they are being whizzed all over the country/towns? They are hyper, we are hyper, and I sometimes feel we do what suits us rather than tuning into our kids and seeing what it is they need? Hanging out with mum or hanging out in a nursery, or class of some sort?

Do you ever stop to consider what is your child/ren absorbing from their daily life? Children are like little sense sponges sucking up what ever is going on around them. What they see, hear, feel and look at they are absorbing on a far greater level than we have ever realised before.

Is therefore our palming off our children to others and the ability to fill their days no matter what age, creating emotional instability within our children? Why are more children on anti-depressants than ever before?

I'm not wanting to point the finger I'm wanting to initiate change, I'm wanting us to question what we are doing - before we run off to the next music class, mother and toddler class I want you to stop and ask yourself do I really need to do this? And maybe you do for your own sanity, but maybe there is another option. Maybe we can slow down and gently get off the manic train journey that we all seem to be on, maybe we can say today we are going to bake bread. Today we are going run through the autumn leaves, today we are going to splish, splash through puddles, today we are not going to get into the car.

I notice that when I follow this pattern, Arlo and I end the day happier, calmer and more intune with each other. It feels good to my core and I hope it does to him too.