Fresh Starts, Learning, and Staying Young
From the first grade all the way up to my senior year of university, I always got pumped up about the new school year. After letting my mind rest over the summer break, I would come back energized and eager to learn new things. I have to say I miss this a bit, but I have found a way to get this “fix” as an adult.
Being a parent gives us a great opportunity to be part of this back-to-school buzz again, and we should take advantage of it by thinking about the things we are excited about doing and learning in the upcoming year. It’s a way of staying young as we get older. Now in my late 30s, I like to focus on what I have to show from the last year instead of just saying, “Well, there goes another year.” Through focusing on my experiences and new knowledge gained, aging seems to be more about gaining rather than losing.
I love this quote from Rosamunde Pilcher: “You don’t stop doing things because you get old. You get old because you stop doing things.” Learning new things is not just about having a good attitude and being happy. Science says that learning and developing new skills keeps us young, both mentally and physically. Using our minds and staying physically active helps us manage stress and the downhill slope towards depression, poor diet, poor hygiene, etc. Basically, we tend to “let ourselves go” if we are not active and learning.
I first started thinking about this around the New Year or my birthday and would look back on what I had to show for the previous year. Now I try to set some sort of goal for the upcoming year. I wonder about things that might be interesting to learn about and how I can regain focus on the things I enjoy in life.
Talk about these things with your children and help them set their own goals. If they are not excited about going back to school, try this: get them talking about the things they are passionate about. Then, see if you can work more of that into their school year. If that doesn’t do the trick, give ’em a hug.
When your kids get that back-to-school buzz, get in on it too. Think about things you want to learn, whether it is something new or something you have been developing. If you are a stay-at-home parent, make the most of the personal time you gain by having your children back in school. Take advantage of the fresh start. Learn, and stay young.
By Brian Wilson
Brian is the father of three children. He teaches golf and coordinates a Zurich Dads’ group in his spare time. Email him at bwilsoniag@gmail.com
Illustration by Lara Friedrich
Lara has been a freelance illustrator for Mothering Matters since early 2013. She is a demo singer for the songwriter Kate Northrop and has also written an article for the newspaper March Anzeiger. Lara is bilingual in English and German with a Cambridge Advanced Certificate in English. Currently she is waiting to start her first year at university.
