NEW WAYS OF LEARNING

About a month ago the seven-year-old learnt to knit. It is an activity that is encouraged at his new school, and something the children learn before writing or their times tables. Even before I had the chance to read about the reasoning for this teaching method, I found myself buying yarn and a set of bamboo needles. Initially it was because I wanted to help him and couldn't quite remember how to knit as I hadn't done it since I was his age. Then as he became more adept, I became transfixed watching his new-found dexterity with the needles. It seemed like a fun activity to do together.

After teaching myself from a few online tutorials, I soon became addicted too. Moving through the stitches and rows can create a meditative state. It is a repetitive action that is incredibly calming. And while many experienced knitters can talk and not even look at their stitches while they work, focusing on the task at hand creates the single-minded calmness that I have only experienced before from yoga, swimming laps and meditating.

The school's literature states that the amount of attentiveness required to knit helps to train young children's concentration spans which will help with their problem-solving skills in later years. It is also an activity that focuses on fine motor skills, which can assist in learning to read and write, especially the repetition of moving from left to right.

Counting the number of stitches and rows and devising patterns with various colours for the piece that they are working on can help children to develop mathematical skills in a stimulating yet enjoyable way. 

Then there are the conversations that we have had as a result of this new activity. Why wool is better than acrylic. The pluses and minuses of using different types of ply and materials - from twine to cotton. And the cost of wool - as he was going through so much so quickly - and why some products from countries such as China are cheaper - but explaining how the companies who produce such goods get those costs down.

While he learnt French knitting at his previous school, and got a loom weaving kit the previous year, which he went through spurts of using, the act of having knitting as an ongoing class activity has spurred his interest in all sorts of knitting, knotting and weaving again. He sometimes intersperses his knitted pieces with French or finger knitting. This way he has created bunting, which now hangs from his sister's bed, and a bag that he uses to carry his school hat inside. Also, in the past month he has created various bracelets for his sisters and a stock whip, which he enjoyed learning to crack.

His current focus is on using a bale of sisal twine, which has lead to many interesting twists and turns in our talks. We have spoken about how you might create string bags, coasters and light shades using this material. The work of Indigenous artist Regina Wilson also came up. She has created home furnishings for Australian furniture and design company Koskela in the past. He was impressed with her dilly bag design and some of her other weavings.

"We cannot underestimate the self-esteem and joy that arise in the child as the result of having made something practical and beautiful - something which has arisen as the result of a skill that has been learned. In an age when children are too often passive consumers, who, as Oscar Wilde once said, 'know the price of everything and the value of nothing', learning to knit can be a powerful way of bringing meaning into a child's life." - Eugene Schwartz, "Knitting and Intellectual Development" in Waldorf Education: A Family Guide (ed Pamela Johnson Fenner and Karen L Rivers), Michaelmas Press, 1995.

And if you're interested in a few other facts about knitting, here are a list of six unexpected benefits.

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WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME TO START SCHOOL?

It's such an exciting time when children start school. It can also be an emotional time too though - for them and you! Both of you need to let go, but there can be rewards from that as well. They gain a greater sense of independence - as do you. They also learn skills and start to forge their way in the world - navigating friendships and relationships with peers and teachers. There are also responsibilities to learn.

I remember a few years ago going to a talk at a prospective school for our son. The principal said that children didn't need to know how to read or write before starting school - what was more important was that they had the necessary social skills. That they could have the confidence to ask someone where the toilet was, or that they could explain to their teacher that they had forgotten their lunch. That always stuck with me.

People often say you know when your child is ready for school. However, sometimes age cut-offs can blur the issue. Our son's birthday is in June. In Australia that means he had to either be one of the youngest or one of the eldest. Everyone I spoke to said it's better to hold children back, especially boys as they can lag behind girls academically at school. That if you hold them back they are more confident as they are more adept at many levels.

In many regards this advice is true. However, as is often the case, it's not true for everyone. 

I often wonder if we did the right thing holding our son back. He is one of the eldest in his class, and has excelled at school. He is confident socially and mature. And maybe this might not have happened if we had pushed him ahead. However, there have been many times over the past year or so that he's expressed boredom with the set school work.

School age isn't such an issue for our eldest daughter as she was born in August. And while she has always been more attached as a child, over the past year it's been apparent that she was ready for the next step. She had her first day at pre-kindy today, and it was a joy to watch the mature and confident girl that she has become. There was a little apprehension when I left but not really any tears. It was a proud moment, and I knew that we had done the right thing. That she was ready.

For our youngest, born in May, we will again face the question of whether to hold her back or push her forward. Time will still tell. However, as she is the third child, she is already confident and capable on many levels. But there are skills she will need. This time I won't be as hesitant to push her forward though.

Would love to know about your children - and their experiences of being pushed forward or held back. What has worked (or not) for you?

School girl is wearing an outfit from Olive Juice.

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BACK TO SCHOOL - LUNCH BOXES + DRINK BOTTLES

Buy once, buy well. That's how I try to live as a conscious consumer. Sometimes this means that I spend a silly amount of time researching products. As we've just sent one child off to school and the others are about to head off too, I wanted to share some of my findings, in case you were also on lookout for products that are good quality, long lasting and produced with the environment in mind.

Drink bottles
The stainless steel drink bottles that the children have been using up to now are quite battered and too large. It becomes quite a weight in the bag when you're carrying three of them, and they also take up a lot of room. They sometimes leak too. I was looking for a drink bottle that was a smaller size and easy for them to use but also manufactured in an ethical way. Living on a property that only has rainwater has made me even more heightened to considering what happens to waste water when it leaves your drain. Too many companies prioritise making cheap products with little regard to the environmental impact. 

Ideally, we also wanted bottles that would fit into the side pockets of the Fjallraven Kanken backpacks that we bought for the children. Basically they need to do be 6-6.5cm diameter. This narrowed down the available choices greatly. Sistema does a range of BPA-free plastic bottles that are available from most supermarkets and the 330ml Twist 'n' Sip is only about $3 each. They are made in New Zealand. These were tempting as they were light and not made in China. They fit the side pockets perfectly but ultimately I decided against them because being plastic I don't think they will last long-term. And in general I am trying to limit the amount of plastic (and battery-powered) products we buy. 

Thermos does a range of small-sized bottles too - but they are emblazoned with Disney characters and graphics that are not my preference. Plus, I always think children grow out of these designs quite quickly.

I also read about the Dopper bottles - from a Dutch company. But they do not ship to Australia. And while the design looks great, they are still (BPA-free) plastic.

We ended up choosing the Klean Kanteen range of 12oz small-sized bottles. The spout-style lid ones do fit (snugly) into the side pockets. They are not too large and they are an eco and ethical company - even if their products are manufactured in China. They donate 1% of annual sales to non-profit organisations with an environmental focus and they participate in fair labor business practices.

We bought our bottles from Shop Naturally. From the pictures on their website I didn't realise that they came with a detachable cap, which was an added bonus as this helps to keep the spout clean.

Lunch boxes
After going through a few lunch boxes that didn't survive the first year at school (broken latches and clips), last year I bought my son a stainless steel lunch box. It was important to buy one that could fit a sandwich inside but also had room for food for sip 'n' crunch and first lunch (or morning tea). We chose the Green Essentials product as it was manufactured ethically in India, and available through Shop Naturally.

It doesn't fit a full piece of fruit inside so we have taken to chopping his in half. And at his last school all of the lunch boxes would get thrown into a tub and sometimes the clips came undone - so we tied string around the outside. This year I decided to get an insulated lunch bag too so that this wouldn't be a problem, and he could fit his drink bottle on the inside so he only needs to grab that and he has all he needs. Plus, it has better health benefits to keep his food at a chilled temperature for longer.

Insulated lunch bags
There are quite a few options around. Smash is an Australian company that sell a range through the supermarkets (Coles and Woolworths) as well as stores such as Target and Kmart. They have some classic designs and their insulated lunch bags are free from a lot of nasty chemicals but ultimately I couldn't find one that would fit his lunch box and drink bottle, and still fit in his school bag. Sistema, the New Zealand company mentioned above, had a lead-free insulated lunch bag but I wasn't crazy on the metallic sheen. In the end, I bought one by Arctic Zone, a Californian-based company, which expanded and provided the option to fit a drink bottle and larger-sized fruit. It was quite a simple design too, which appealed.

So, we're all set for school now. Please included any recommendations you have.

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BACK TO SCHOOL 2016

School is taking on a whole new colour this year. It's going to be different in so many ways. New school, new area, new faces. And no uniforms. 

For Christmas, the children received backpacks as gifts. We wanted something practical but still a little fun - hence, the colours. And also something that they could potentially use when we travel to see family.

The Kanken backpacks were a big hit, and now we're just trying to find a water bottle that fits in the side pocket. 

Also, everyone's set with new shoes. The girls have sandals and boots from Poppeto. Classic navy and with velcro fastening. Our son got a pair of Superga, which also have velcro.

As for clothes, classic neutrals for him and floral prints from the likes of Printebebe for the girls (excellent at hiding dirt).

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