One of the perks of living in condos is it feels the closest form of community-living. Our boys don't fully understand the idea of pre-planning. They want playdates on demand which is much more doable when they live in the same building! I love seeing them all giddy and feel so much relief when they're not sucked into their Nintendo.
Giving them a childhood where they can be connected to each other is a challenge in these times. Having our boys share a room and proximity to our neighbours makes it all easier to coordinate. With our in laws round the corner, local park and amenities during winter I feel is a decent set-up for their childhood.
There's such a crazy amount of pressure for parents to be everything for their children. It just doesn't seem realistic to have everything child-led. Perhaps because I've tasted a less structured way of life in Libya and appreciated it's benefits. Designing for wellbeing may sometimes mean understanding our human limitations, while accepting our needs for extended forms of belonging.
When it comes to designing around growing boys, it's about creating no fuss environments. Easy to clean, nothing too precious, and keeping toys to a minimum! They have no concept of keeping things 'pleasing'. Any little touches are for my personal delight, and boy it goes a long way to see pretty baskets haha.
This morning I took a quick trip to look for some new storybooks. We've been looping on their favs at bedtime and needed to put a stop to it! Now I understand why checking out books from the library may be the best idea. No need for extra storage, and keeps us from memorising lines I'd rather forget.
Tuesday Treats
I'd love to say we're baking wholesome goodies on a regular, but the saintly level of patience needed for this is on capacity basis. They will have to enjoy their treats and occasional photos for now to satisfy them.
