A Learning Christmas

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When do young people start learning? From the day they are born. So why do we buy them so much useless crap at Christmas time? Learning can be life changing and as simple as a book, a tool, or an experience that will help set them up with life-long skills.

With three little ones in my extended family I am constantly being confronted by mermaids and princesses in never ending items of merchandise they desperately NEED to possess. Surprise, surprise, a National Geographic bug catcher can also be fun! As part of the deal, a drive into the bush for a picnic was an absolute highlight. We tracked animals and identified different types of poo. They keep asking: When we are going again?

For all ages an experience is definitely a great way to go. At the age of 22 my son was lucky enough to get a berth on the Young Endeavour and came back a much more mature young man. What he thought was going to be a sailing adventure was; and so much more in terms of team building and leadership.

Currently Wil Massara, an enterprising young man in Western Australia who is part of my Operation Next Gen team in Collie and CEO of Youth Leadership Academy Australia, is promoting a one-day learning experience in March 2019 in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast. Now wouldn’t that be an awesome gift for a young person aged 13-18 years?

As a parent there are two challenges. We don’t want to hand everything to them on a plate and we also need to challenge gender bias with our gifts.

Children should learn about patience, the process of working towards a goal, and valuing what it costs to purchase something of significance. A technique we used when our children were young was to give them exactly half the money they needed to purchase that much wanted bike or pony. It was up to them to earn the other half and it was incredible how resourceful they became in the process, now that was excellent life skills learning!

Why should a male toddler get a toy toolbox and a female toddler a barbie doll? Which one would be more useful building life skills?

At the risk of being labelled the Grinch, I wish everyone a NO *crap* Christmas!

And something else I am very passionate about … Shop RURAL this Christmas!

When do young people start learning? From the day they are born. So why do we buy them so much useless *crap* at Christmas time? Learning can be life changing and as simple as a book, a tool, or an experience that will help set them up with life-long skills.

When do young people start learning? From the day they are born. So why do we buy them so much useless crap at Christmas time? Learning can be life changing and as simple as a book, a tool, or an experience that will help set them up with life-long skills.