Come on, who amongst us hasn’t veered down the “helicopter / tiger mum” parent route at one time or another? As someone who has been known to be a bit of a control freak at times, (sorry Ali), of course my children will hang onto my every word and their futures will be planned meticulously until they skip out of Oxford with beaming smiles and a 1st in Astrophysics (what even is that?!) In preparation for this moment, over the years, I’ve planned Mandarin lessons which unfortunately were quickly abandoned, as my youngest was more interested in the teacher’s chocolate stash than in preparing herself for the competitiveness of the global job market. In sport: hockey, netball, football, rugby we’ve tried them all ! A garage full of unused gumshields, pads and balls of every shape and size tell a story of activities tried but not persevered with.

Surely this situation could be solved with more rules, perhaps even a spreadsheet? However, as I gazed out at Ali happily tending the garden, I had an epiphany (OK maybe not that dramatic). Could the answer lie in doing less not more?

Having been avid fans of Springwatch: https://www.bbc.co.uk/events/e8h3v2/live/c53g9r rewilding is a much-favoured topic in the Golden Brain household. Defined as “taking a big picture, holistic approach to helping nature recover and flourish” we are, in our own little way, trying to create areas to encourage mini-beasts such as bees and bugs to thrive. You can find great info here on the excellent rewilding Britain website: https://www.rewildingbritain.org.uk/explore-rewilding/what-is-rewilding/why-we-need-rewilding

Taking a holistic approach, and letting nature lead the way as much as possible, seems like a pretty stress-free approach to life if you ask me. Mow the lawn? Well, of course I couldn’t because it was “No Mow May” (and some of June if I’m honest). How different and refreshing to the manicured lawns and flowerbeds of my suburban Surrey youth. Well to be honest, that was more about impressing the neighbours, wasn’t it?

Speaking of doing things to impress others, what about education? Surely this laissez faire approach to life will mean even less homework is done than before ? As the husband of a teacher, I’ve always been amazed as to the difference between my wife teaching our own kids and other children. One group hang on her every word and the other set not so much… (I’ll let you decide who’s who).

Our advice as a tutoring organisation is, not to stress yourself out with it too much. If your child is not lucky enough to find the right teacher at school, there are organisations out there, such as ourselves, who will find the right teacher for your child and it doesn’t need to cost the earth  (geddit!). Right now, at Golden Brain Academy, we have weekly summer classes, with one of our fully qualified teaching team, for only £10 a session  Classes – Golden Brain Academy

So, sit back, let your child be inspired and let nature take its course. You’ll be surprised at how much more motivated and confident they feel in a matter of a few sessions – meaning you can spend more time in your garden ????