It’s a little word, fun; a throw-away cheapened by advertisers everywhere. But there really is no substitute, no other word that so completely encapsulates something that is entirely not boring, work, routine or a chore; fun is escape from all of that.
I am married to the world’s biggest kid (as any of our students being tutored by him will readily give evidence of), and although his grey hairs (distinguished silver I keep telling him!) attest to his middle-years, he resolutely refuses to grow up. He still finds pleasure in the most ridiculous un-grownup things, like visual humour (slipping on a banana peel gets him every time), remote control helicopters (which he insists on trying to land on my head!) and inline skating with his equally nutty brother around (the other) 12 year olds at a child’s roller skating birthday party!
But I love him for his nuttiness, the ease with which he can access that 12 year old inside him that can still be filled with wonder at something new. And his madness is infectious; although I pretend to the world that I am a serious grownup, complete with my own business, employees and a tax return, having a ‘boy’ husband gives me license to dance around the house like a loon, have chocolate for breakfast and laugh at silly things until I snort.
Who says we need to grow up? Apart from the expectations of society, colleagues, friends and family, what law is in place that forces us to abandon childishness when we leave childhood? If there was such a law, no children’s books would be written, no children’s TV produced. And let’s be honest, ‘extreme sports’?  Surely they are just an excuse to muck about like kids again.
The reason I bring this all up is the link below, which features a month of dinosaur madness created by a husband and wife for their children. In an age of endless digital diversion, it is a very welcome breath of innocent wonder. Watch it, learn from it, and find some way to add a bit of simple joy to the lives of your kids; or friends, or colleagues, or family; basically, anyone that needs a big dose of ‘stop taking yourself so seriously and laugh a little’.
https://medium.com/thoughts-on-creativity/6f4cb1886d41
Hmmm, I really should link this back to my business as that is after all theoretically why I write these things, even though I do sometimes go off on tangents. I guess Mark and I kind of naturally build fun in to the way we work. We know the kids are with us to learn, to improve themselves and achieve their potential, and this is of course our primary focus, but does it have to be an overly serious and dry activity?
We don’t think so. We honestly believe that kids learn best when they are allowed to be themselves, when they are allowed to have a bit of (whisper it) fun! Fractions, grammar, algebra, serious topics that demand close attention to concept, process and fact, but we can ‘weave’ a bit of fun into the process. We stand by our results, which (excuse me while I pat my own back), are consistently good, and yet our sessions are full of smiling, happy, sometimes noisy, kids, who are getting on with the process of learning, but having fun doing it.
If you are reading this with a mountain of washing waiting, dinner to prepare, work that has stacked up and needs to be tackled over a precious weekend, then you, and probably your kids, need a ‘fun’ break. Read the link again, see if any mad ideas form in your head, then grab the maddest one and bring it to life. What’s the worst that can happen; a laugh, maybe two? Remember, we only get one life, so fill it with as many giggles as possible. You won’t regret it!  

As I am sure I have mentioned (probably more than once – sorry!) we are extremely busy at the moment, partly because of the new centre and partly because more kids need us, which is great. However, when Saturday arrives it does leave me with that running on empty feeling after 6 long days of admin, phone calls, planning and tutoring. But in spite of this, or perhaps because of it, when I was invited to a weekend concert by the mother of one our kids who would be singing in it, I jumped at the chance, I think more for the change of scenery than anything else! I got far more than that though.

The concert was held at Walford Girls School, and was the final in a series of concerts for youth choirs. Jed, our student, is in the Australian Youth Choir. I sat with Jed’s mum and grandma in the front row. Jed appeared on stage, angelic, in a blue and yellow robe.  We could see his eyes search the 400-strong audience for a friendly face. The beam on Jed’s face when he saw me sitting next to his mum was priceless. And then singing began. It wasn’t long before I was smiling too!

Some of you will know that one of my hobbies is singing in the Tutti Choir, a mixed abilities choir based out of Minda. Singing is one of my great joys, whether I am singing or listening, and within minutes the simple pleasure of hearing young voices joined in choreographed unison had completely taken me out of myself. If I closed my eyes I was transported back to every cathedral, church and concert hall that I had visited to hear a choir. It is a difficult feeling to describe, but for me it is so moving that it often moves me to tears (which can be a little embarrassing when you are in mixed company and also trying to hold a conversation!).

Singing for young children is a wonderful experience. If they are engaged early enough, before self-consciousness and peer pressure can interfere, it can provide them a way to express themselves, boost their self-esteem, gain a wider appreciation of music, and achieve in something completely different to sport or school. Like our centre, the best choirs provide an environment that is safe and supportive as well as inclusive. It is an introduction to another part of life that, like travelling or the arts, will make them more rounded as people and more open to new experiences. It encourages self-discipline, better communication and inter-personal skills and a strong sense of teamwork and community.

For all of these reasons, and after weeks and months of work excuses, I will be returning to my choir this week, leaving the centre in the capable hands of our tutors. I will admit to being a bit of a ‘show pony’, and enjoy getting up on stage in the limelight. But, more than this, I miss the sheer pleasure of joining my voice with others and creating something that is bigger than all of us. Practice is enjoyable enough, but when you join with the audience in concert and share a piece of music, well, it is hard for me to imagine anything else that gives as much pleasure.

I would encourage all of you to seek out a concert near you in the run up to Christmas. Take your kids, drag them if need be. You will be amazed at the transformation in them when the singing starts, especially the young ones. You are of course welcome to attend the Tutti Christmas concert on Sunday 15th December in Norwood and give me a wave and an encouraging smile!