In the woods of Finland
You have kids? Get a farm.
Busting your butt in a high flying job, between concrete walls, deluding yourself this is for the benefit of your child? It is a sham. Sorry. A big fat sham. What is best for a child is this.
Nothing can compare with having lots of nature to run through and develop proper motor skills in. Or riding a bike absolutely free of worry around hills, climbing trees, digging holes and getting dirty.
Jenrik is four years old and watching him zoom around the farm with a maniacal speed with all sorts of small rides has been a source of delight for me since we arrived. Or when he helped Mr.Blab to turn the lawn mower, right before the much elder man managed to fall with it in a ditch.
He knows all the machinery around, walks around the barn with the confidence of a king and jumps right on his father’s lap, or a high point somewhere close, whenever he is doing/going/fixing something. He is learning every day, without trying, without pressure or stress. Life is all around him, he just needs to be awake for all the magic to happen.
Rescuing the lawn mower from the ditch
I think my children are pretty clued in, worldly and capable, but in this setting it is obvious how impaired they have been by their city upbringing. In just 3 days they have managed to hurt themselves more than I am willing to acknowledge. Bruises lavishly decorate the legs of Little B, whose excitement of riding the bike around the woods, overshadows her ability. The Dod whines here and there in realization of how incapable he is to keep up with the blond boy.
But they are giving it a good go.
Their main diet is wild blueberries which seem to grow everywhere around here. So on top of the bruised and scratched bodies of my children sit heads with sickly blue/purple lips. I barely see them though, so I just hope they are alright, out there in the woods.
Now its time for moose meat bbq, so I better go dig some potatoes and help…watch the fire.
Signed,
The City Woman
Oh, this is great. All one of my daughters wants to do is be a farmer and ride horses and feed chickens and all that. It’s her idea of a perfect life, and I’m pretty happy with that!!!
Exactly that is the feeling we had in New Zealand – just lots and lots of free, natural space to explore and get dirty in. Barefoot, of course. No cars, no fences, no concrete. Sigh!
By the way: Is Jendrih supposed to be the blond kid in the dress and gumboots in the background of your daughters beautiful feet?! (I would be impressed…)
I laughed and had tears in my eyes while reading this, I can see it all happening, like I was there!
I love this post but perhaps I’m a little biased – this place is very dear to me. ;-)
Jenny, no, this is his much quieter small sister ;) . I hope we get to stop in New Zealand, better yet, live there one day.
Nina! Only you here could have made this a better experience. It has been amazing.
Jill, that has to be the perfect childhood. Hands down.
Okay this post is interesting to me. First of all, I loved Finland last time I was there. Has it actually been 15 years?
We live on a farm. Our children live cage free lives, but we have been considering all of the advantages of city-life.
Travelmomma, I think this is pretty normal – we desire what we don’t have. Still, I am not sure what are all the advantages of city-life for children. More access to art?
Cities offer more libraries, culture, International flavor, and interesting shopping experiences. There are also trains, subways, zoos, and aquariums.
We have lived a hodge podge life. For years, we travel and move about, and then we settle again, like we are now and milk cows, fish often, and here in Belize we pick oragnes, avacados and mangoes to our hearts content. Now that we are all snuggled in we are getting rather antsy for cafes, bookstores, and places to shop that stay up later than 7pm.
We are hoping to head to Europe in just a couple of months which is why I am hoping for practical advice. Let’s trade, you tell me how I can get the best tickets (RTW or country by country), How to find family friendly places on the cheap, and whether or not I should bring my own cooking pots, and I will give you the info on hand milking, making butter, raising chickens, and grinding grain for your own baked farm bread.
If you want to visit Belize before we leave consider our farm yours.
I should add, I do agree that when you are not traveling, nothing beats the country life for children. One of the secrects though is that in most cases of farm living one and most of the time both parents are home investing in the child (ren). That is one of the great advantages to the traveling family as well.
Travelmomma, yes, the city has benefits of course. Unless one lives really far from it, though, it is quite possible to take advantage of them from time to time and still go back to life in freedom. That is all said by a person that has never lived outside of a big city, so lets keep that in mind ;)
I am up for that exchange, although we are most likely not making it to Belize in the next few months. Although, one never knows really.