The Rush Hour of Childhood: Why Our Days Feel So Full (and Our Hearts So Empty)

Mornings are chaos. Evenings are rushed. And somewhere between the reading books, packed lunches, and lost water bottles, childhood starts to feel like a race.

Both parents and teachers are caught in it - the relentless pressure to be productive, to fit everything in, to do more.

But what children really need isn’t more doing. It’s more being.

Children’s brains are shaped by calm repetition, not constant motion. They thrive on connection, slowness, and familiarity - things modern life has almost erased.

When we slow down, we send a powerful message: You matter more than the schedule.

But, we are human too - heck, when my children were younger, I used to really struggle to let the washing go unwashed, and the cooking uncooked, just so I could play with them. But I wasn’t a teacher then, and instagram didn’t exist, giving me endless ideas for easy games. Now my kids are older and I can see that I could have made it so much easier for myself, and here are some tips for things I wish I’d known when my kids were little.

Some small wins that build connection:
1. Try a “pause point” in your day - one predictable moment where everything stops. It might be breakfast together, a hug at the door, or 10 minutes of reading before sleep. The routine becomes the anchor your child leans on - and you might find yourself breathing again too.

2. Touch is huge for building connection. Anything from touching them on the hand or arm, ruffling hair, a hand on the shoulder. Make the most of, every time you walk past them, just making a small point of touching them. Without disturbing them, touch can let them know they are important and you love them.

3. Eye contact and active listening builds strong connections. when they need you and say your name, you don’t have to engage immediately, but make a point of saying ‘Just a minute, I just need to finish chopping this onion/changing the baby/reading this paragraph’. When you have done that, put the things in your hand down, and make eye contact, get down on their level if they are little, and look at them in the eyes. Say ’Right, I’m listening. What did you need to say?’

4. Fun! Having fun together and laughing is super important. Make sure that you allow yourself to spend time laughing with your kids. Telling jokes, playing games, telling funny stories, playing tricks, play fighting or rough and tumble, pillow fights, jumping on the bed, chasing, exploring a whoopie cushion or blowing raspberries on tummies - whatever gets those belly laughs going!