When does learning occur? As a Life Long Learning family, we know that learning occurs in every moment.

It is in seeing the moments and seizing the moments as opportunities for learning that create love of learning, independence, and interconnection in our child(ren)'s lives.

As Adults, when we wish to learn something, do we not throw ourselves right into whatever that is we wish to learn? A wonderful example of this is when our children were young. I can remember each one of our boys coming to us at the age of 2 or 3 with the broom in one hand and the dustpan in the other and wanting to learn how to sweep just like they saw mommy and daddy doing. I can remember in each instance, allowing our children to sweep, and showing them how to do so, step by step. We even went out and got from the thrift store and Walmart, their own size broom and dustpan so that they may sweep while we were sweeping with them because the other broom they said was too heavy for them and they wanted something they could hold and help us with without falling over or dropping it from its weight. This gave us bonding time together, a way for our children to learn something that they wanted to in that very moment, and a knowing that they are independent and they can do such a task brightens their day and ours!:) Now, as the boys are older, they enjoy helping mom clean the house, or putting away the groceries, or cooking, or assisting others with these tasks because of our taking the time to help them learn in the moment that they desired to learn, in seizing the moment.

Now, some parents natural inclination is that "Oh it's going to take too much time, I need to do this, you are too young and cannot do this yet, thank you honey" and we take the broom from their hands, shoo them off into another room to watch TV, or to "get out of our hair" so to speak and we then take care of the task at hand, whether it be sweep, cooking, whatever it is in that moment that our child(ren) expresses an interest in learning. Our natural inclination then is that "I will take care of it, I will do a better job and I am faster than you". We all have had moments like this with our child(ren). As long as we have the inclination that we can take care of it, that we will do a better job, and that we are faster than our child(ren), then we in essence cripple our child(ren) because we shut them down and we wonder why then when later on then when they are 7, 8, or 9 and then we hand them a broom, or ask them to help with making dinner and such, they are free from being interested then and choose to be free from learning or helping and we wonder why, often getting angry or frustrated at our child(ren) for not wanting to or at their making a fuss about helping. What we are being asked to recognize is that when our child(ren) comes to us wanting to learn to sweep, that means that they are ready to learn how to sweep, or learn a new computer programming language or whatever it is that they are wanting to learn in that moment. The thing is, if we take the time with our child(ren) in each moment to seize and enjoy the process of learning when they come to us with whatever it is they desire to learn in that moment then our child(ren) will then know whatever it is that they are desiring to learn, and then years down the road, which we may not see in that moment, we will have a child(ren) who is in love with learning anything and everything, independent, and interconnected with us and the world. It is in allowing our own child(ren)'s love of learning and potential to be independent and to want to participate to grow and facilitate themselves and our family.

If a task seems to be too large for our child(ren) or even for us in that given moment to learn, then we can do what it is we do when we are desiring to learn something, we can break up into steps. One step in each moment at a time, slowly and carefully, until pretty soon, the get it! Then we can go onto the next step and the next. So get that smaller size broom if you need to, get that step stool, find and get whatever resources (and there are infinite ways to get resources either free or inexpensively if need be. I invite you to use your imagination and creativity with your child(ren) to find ways to get what it is that you need to learn, I know having three kids that I am always searching for a bargain) you need to allow your child(ren) to sweep, or peel the potatoes and carrots for dinner, or type on the computer and then enjoy the process, and the amazement and awe-inspiring wonder that enfolds before us as we are learning together with our child(ren). Learning in this way also inspires a spirit of service within your family, so that as they grow there is a natural flow to your family and to life, free from having to push or force any learning or helping with the house work and such.

I have parents say to me all the time, "Gee you know my child(ren) LOVED to help with housework and such when they were younger and now that they are x age, they want nothing to do with helping me and I feel frustrated having to do ALL this stuff myself" To which I always ask them then "What was your reaction when they were younger and wanted to help?" If it was of the reaction that I described earlier of "I can take care of it, that I will do a better job, and that I am faster than you" is it any wonder then why you are tired and frustrated and are free from having assistance and free from having a child(ren) who wish to be of service, who want to help and who want to earn.

Is it hard at times? Sure, I know it is, especially when you are running around crazy with your kids and also if they are younger. I know what this is like as I had our children all three of them 7 and under for a time. Even now, at the age they are, while it is "easier" in some ways as I do have the help, but it also would be what others may consider as "too time consuming" having to stop and learn and grow with our children. For me though, what better way to enjoy the process of learning and of life with your child(ren) than in this way. Is this not the reason we have our child(ren)? :)

Can you start this process at anytime, even if they are older now and you were once living the way of "I can take care of it, that I will do a better job, and that I am faster than you" ? Yes, we can begin, because really we are free from beginning anything, as the wisdom in being this has always been with us, it is that we somehow forgot about it and it takes a reminder of the messages in this article to wake us up to this process to continue what it is we may have been doing when they were younger or saw someone else doing with their child(ren). How to begin or remember this? By allowing our child(ren) the space to come to us with a desire to learn whatever it is that they choose to learn, and then us taking the opportunity to seize the moment to learn with them, to show them, or to find the resources and learn together with them through those resources of what it is they desire to learn in that moment. What better moment, than this present moment to begin or remember in this very moment?

Will they do it perfect the first time? No. Did each of our boys sweep in what is called "correctly" the first times they did it? No. Do we as adults, learn something "right" the first time we learn it? Most likely No. And is it going to cost us what we believe as our time to assist our child(ren) in learning? Yes, it will. It was within taking the moments, moment by moment, even if it is a thousand moments, to show them, to help them to learn to sweep those crumbs into the dustpan and the elation on our child(ren)'s face when they say "I did it!" that is all the "payment" we need. Our natural inclination is to rather than take opportunity to seize these moments to rather say that I am free from having enough time, I have such and such to do or here to go etc. but what could be more important than seizing the moment in each and every moment to learn with our child(ren)? What it all comes down to, which is what I speak about in the Life Long Learning Book is, how you approach life, learning and how we approach our child(ren). If you choose to approach life and learn from a perspective of drudge and dreadgery, then this is what will manifest for you in your life. If we view life, learning, and our child(ren) from and for the wonderous awe-inspiring beautiful things and being that they are, then we will greet each moment with that same wonder, inspiration, and beauty that they bring to us. There is a song I like to sing that is from the Disneyland ride of Pirates of the Caribbean, with the words changed a bit ~ "Yo ho ho, a mommy's life for me" or "Yo ho ho, a Life Long Learning Life for me" or "Yo ho ho a Life Long Learning Life for all"! So whatever it takes to get you inspired in life to enjoy and learn from it with your child(ren) then let that flow of inspiration take you where it is that you and your child(ren) wish to go. child(ren) know this, this is why you see child(ren) learning, playing and loving life always:) Why are they in this state? Because they live in a constant state of being grateful for everything in their lives. I invite you in those moments of drugery to sit down and write a list of all that you are grateful for. You will be amazed at how much we are grateful for but tend to forget about in the perceived drudgery of life and how much having an attitude of gratitude shifts our perspective! There is truly so much we can learn from our child(ren):)

Our child(ren) are like gifts, presents that we open them when they are born and open them through life and watch and marvel at what comes out. If we have a vision for what we desire and who we are being in life and then make choices based on that vision, and if we have and our child(ren) have a vision of the man or woman that our child(ren) will grow to be and who is in the making in this very moment, then we will and they will make choices based on that vision of who we are and they are choosing to be, then we can watch the enfoldment of that gift in utter amazement and joy. We spend so much time thinking about, planning, and saving for college for our child(ren) what if we were to place that same emphasis instead on who we are and who are child(ren) are being in the moment and making choices based upon that and BEing then in the moment. Free from placing our child(ren) in a box, but open to the infinite possibilities of who are child(ren) is being in any given moment. Allowing them to show what gifts and talents they have and support them in their own individual ways of being. If we have the vision that our child(ren) are the child(ren) that they wish for themselves to be and that they are happy in each moment with who they are being and what it is that they choose in their life experience, even if it is free from being what it is we may wish for them, then this is what matters. Because we all have, including our child(ren), Divine Free Choice or Divine Free Will and even if our child(ren) grow to be other than what it is that we desire for them to be, it is their choice to be whom they are being in each moment just as it is ours, and if they are happy, then this can be our fondest wish for our child(ren). I know it is for me with our children. For me, I choose the choice that I am free from anywhere I have to go, or anything I have to do, that is more important to me than our children and seizing the moment to learn and BE with our children within our visions whatever they may be for all of our lives. For me, I choose to be in and have an attitude of gratitude in every moment. When the invitation is brought forth from our children to me, I graciously, gratefully, and enthusiastically accept it and the party of learning begins. I watch then and am along side them in the enfoldment of the gift of who they are, which inspires me to be who I am. Do you choose to accept your child(ren)'s next invitation to seizing the moment in learning?

Infinite Love and Light,

Dr. Patti "Diamondlady" Diamond, DD

 

 

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