Guest Post by Fiona Longmuir From StorkUp – Favourite Things

My favourite thing about hanging out with kids is their passion. They have the amazing ability to find wonder and magic in everything. Before they hit their teenage years and emotion becomes officially uncool, they love things unashamedly and absolutely. Every new experience is The Best Ever. Every new possession is their Favourite Thing. It’s hard not to get caught up in their excitement. The only problem is that I can hardly keep up with them sometimes.

I have been blessed with two gorgeous little sisters, and I like to think that they both think I’m pretty cool. I dye my hair bright colours, I can build an awesome blanket fort and I can rap the entire opening to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. When it comes to their Favourite Things though, I often find myself a step behind. Just as I’m getting my head around Playmobil Families, it’s suddenly all about Moshi Monsters.

I’m sure every mum dreams of being a cool mum. Of having their little ones think that they are awesome and fun. I know I do. And yet, when I try to talk to my baby sisters about their latest passions, I morph into the dorky clueless mum from an American sitcom. If the littlest could roll her eyes, I’m pretty sure she would do it at me on a daily basis. I can just tell that she thinks I’m ancient (she keeps asking me when I’m going to get married and be a mummy).

But sometimes I get it right. I’m rubbish at keeping up with the playground trends and crazes. I am so not down with the kids. But as individuals, I know my little ones well. I know what they’ll love. I remember the littlest looking at me like I was a wizard when I showed her how to find sea anemones in the rock pools by the shore. As she watched its little tentacles wrap around my finger, I suddenly became a fearless explorer in her eyes. And after being coaxed into touching one herself, sea anemones were officially her Favourite Thing. She went home and wanted to learn about them. She wanted to tell her friends how brave she had been.

The littlest has had a whole lot of Favourite Things in her eight years. But the ones that stick in her head, that still make her eyes light up when she talks about them, are the ones I tailored to her. Things she’d never seen before, that her friends didn’t have, but that I knew she’d love. A book with her name in. A painting of her favourite toy. A trip to the museum to look at the mummies she’d been studying in school. Favourite Things can be objects, or they can be based on experiences, the only real requirement seems to be that they’re new and different. One of the best things about working for StorkUp is that every day, I get to interact with so many amazing, quirky merchants, all selling brilliant products that I’d never have thought of otherwise. When I buy her things from StorkUp, I know I’m getting something a bit special. The little one is curious, inquisitive and smart – a combination that often leads to everyday adventures. And as long as I can keep discovering new Favourite Things for her, I can still be part of them.

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This post is protected under copyright. SusankMann 2009 – 2014