Little Helpers

Since having children I have always used them as an excuse for not really getting anything done, that they’re always distracting me, needing me, ruining things as I try to do them. And it’s absolutely true. They do make it soooo hard to achieve anything at all.

These last six weeks or so have been so incredibly productive in the Inner Grace household, clearing and sorting, getting the house in order, making big changes in the garden. It feels like we’re starting project after project, and that we’re really managing to achieve so many productive things.

So what’s the secret? How have we managed to do it? Well I can tell you for sure it is not thanks to these guys!

It has been extremely hard trying to get things done with my little helpers around. I dream of being able to get them involved, them in the garden with their mini tools, working in peaceful harmony with them. Them listening intently as I pass down my gardening wisdom and they soak it up like the little sponges they so obviously are. I really wanted this to be a family project, that we all owned, that was a beautiful, bonding, communal activity.

The reality is more that they nick the one tool that I really needed to use, that they drop all the seeds in one tiny patch of soil, that they pull out the plants I’ve just planted and step on the one next to it. They move the things I have carefully placed, water the pavement, knock over the weed basket and then have a fight over both wanting the same stick.

It has been utterly exhausting and frustrating. There has been lots of distracting inside on gloriously sunny days with extra episodes of Octonauts. There has been waking up at five in the morning to work unassisted. There have been quite a lot of tantrums and shouting, from both children and adults.

None of us have particularly covered ourselves in glory in our behaviour and levels of patience.

But despite all that it was worth it. We have achieved so much in such a short period of time. Now that the hard work is mainly done I am hoping that we can start to enjoy the fruits of our labours, watching as things grow and flourish. I am hoping it will develop into something that we really can enjoy as a family very soon.

And he does look so proud of how helpful he is, it’s hard to stay angry for long!