These photos are tangible evidences that children are capable to naturally create magic. Give a couple of balloons and plenty of water to these fun-loving, weird-enough, kids and you'll witness how they can transform gray clouds into a perfect stage for a spectacular afternoon. Without even saying abracadabra, they did it effortlessly! In fact even without balloons or water they would do wonders just fine, it's a fantastic trait we have as living creatures, but what happened to our built-in magic machine as we become adults?
I was inspired to take pictures of splashes, goofy faces, movements, and the kind of play only children can do. Just watching them made me wonder about how I used to be as a child. I remembered being so worried about exams and school rankings. I remembered making more competitions than friends. I remembered not being present at an early age and not having as much fun as my kids do now.
But, as I write this, I remembered how my sisters and I would try to scare each other with our made-up horror stories before bedtime. I remembered when there were days we didn't have to go to school because of a typhoon and my dad rented some VHS tapes to entertain us. I remembered weekends with my siblings and cousins at my grandparents' house. I remembered the pancake my mom made with chocolate spread, which she rolled like a crepe. You know, just those little things.
I was inspired to take pictures of splashes, goofy faces, movements, and the kind of play only children can do. Just watching them made me wonder about how I used to be as a child. I remembered being so worried about exams and school rankings. I remembered making more competitions than friends. I remembered not being present at an early age and not having as much fun as my kids do now.
But, as I write this, I remembered how my sisters and I would try to scare each other with our made-up horror stories before bedtime. I remembered when there were days we didn't have to go to school because of a typhoon and my dad rented some VHS tapes to entertain us. I remembered weekends with my siblings and cousins at my grandparents' house. I remembered the pancake my mom made with chocolate spread, which she rolled like a crepe. You know, just those little things.
And then I remembered why we are unschooling. School gave me so much stress and stole my natural ability to manufacture my own happiness. It taught me how to focus on my goal, to get the best grades, to always be at the top of my class, and that they are more important than making friends or having fun. Apparently, the things I remember as a child in school are the negative ones, while the memories I made at home and with my family can still cheer me up even now that I am a grown-up. This obvious contrast reinforces my belief that my boys will thrive as unschoolers. Unschooling has opened doors of opportunities for us to rethink a lot of things and it has helped me heal my childhood wounds. Just by being with my kids, I am learning how play, not to worry too much, to enjoy what is, and I am learning how to be a child again.
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