Children - Inspired Living SA

Cape Town, Cape Town Lifestyle, Children, Family, FAR Photography, Fathers, Life, Lifestyle

The Latest Addition To Our Home

The Latest Addition to Our Home

The long-awaited digital piano has eventually arrived much to the delight of all! It is great to have the sound of music filling our home. We will announce concert dates soon! Thank you to all who made this dream a reality!

Photography:©FAR Photography

Africa, Children, Family, FAR Photography, Nature, Travel

Photography – Horsey Love

I love being out in nature and capturing its beauty. Horses are such beautiful elegant creatures and I could help but take these photographs. There is something so calming about Nature Photography, especially when the main subject is so beautiful! [Read more…]

4 Things I...., 4 Things..., Be Inspired, Children, Family, FAR Photography, Nature, Travel

4 Things I Learnt This Weekend

Children truly are better off without too much stuff! After spending a weekend away, with friends, in a rather remote area approximately 4 hours from Cape Town, I have realised all children really need, on vacation, is the company of other children and open spaces! This allows them the freedom to just be “children”! (After all children do not remember the accommodation “star” rating but they do remember the fun they had!)
Expectations can often obscure your experiences. This may be a tricky one to understand but I have found if you go into a situation expecting too much you are often disappointed – so my solution this weekend was to not expect too much and I was pleasantly surprised! I think it also allows you to make the most of any situation you find yourself in.
If you give someone the opportunity to achieve a goal, outside of their comfort zone, most often they will surprise you and themselves by actually achieving success. Allowing 11-year-old girls the opportunity, over the weekend, to drive a boat by themselves proved that you can in fact do anything you put your mind to. (We may have created a few “river rats” in the process!)
Last but certainly not least, I proved that I can survive without both my cell phone and laptop, I am not saying that it was easy but it can be done! Did I miss having these things – most definitely but let me tell you something interesting – I slept much better at night!

Images: ©FAR Photography

Be Inspired, Children, Family, Life, Lifestyle, Young@Heart

Remember To Read To Your Children

I love this and it is so true, according to some wise individuals we should be reading to or with our children, at least, until the age of 13! Wow – how many of you still read to your children after they start school and can read themselves? [Read more…]

Be Inspired, Cape Town, Children, Family, FAR Photography, Featured Posts, Parenting, Parenting Advice, Poems

My Top 4 Bits of Parenting Advice

I have never really been someone who readily dishes out unsolicited parenting advice – I think I have been burnt once too often by the reaction you get from some people, so now I mostly just smile and nod knowingly! So rather than call this advice, we will file this list under the title of “I wish I knew Then, What I Know Now!”

My Top 4 Bits of Parenting Advice

First up – cut yourself some slack; you most definitely are not expected to be the perfect parent, especially the first time around! Just remember all children will eventually “eat”, “sit”, “walk”, “Sleep” – so don’t sweat the small stuff and do not compare your children with their peers or yourself with others parents (it’s dangerous). We all get there in our own time.

Let your children discover the “world” for themselves, try not to be a helicopter parent, calculating your child’s every move, constantly doing everything for them – it’s exhausting and they do need to find out stuff for themselves. Sometimes they need to “burn” themselves to find out that something is indeed “hot”! Which certainly does not mean you should not protect your child but be careful to not “over-protect” them.

Remember to look after yourself and remember to put yourself first sometimes. Nurture those relationships that are important too, especially your marriage. You are of no use as a parent if you are constantly stressed out, take time out for yourself, find a hobby, read a book, get a pedicure (yes even Dad’s!) – you get the picture!

Last but certainly not least remember to enjoy your children, laugh with them, talk to them, especially as they get older. Very often we are so busy with our own lives; we forget that our children are “people” too. Make time to share family meals, get to know your children, find out what makes them tick, what they like or what they don’t! You may not always agree or get along but that’s life. Just remember that someday they won’t want you around or want to talk to you and then it may be too late!

Walk A Little Slower Daddy

“Walk a Little slower, Daddy.” said a little child so small.

I’m following in your footsteps and I don’t want to fall.

Sometimes your steps are very fast, sometimes they’re hard to see;

So walk a little slower Daddy, for you are leading me.

Someday when I’m all grown up, You’re what I want to be.

Then I will have a little child who’ll want to follow me.

And I would want to lead just right, and know that I was true;

So, walk a little slower, Daddy, for I must follow you!!

~author unknown