Summer's end

Summer holidays can be hard. 

It is for most families, particularly if you're juggling work and children.

It was a summer of comparison for us.

Last year, the children spent their summer mornings out in the garden for 4-5hrs a day, having breakfast, lessons, playtime, life skills, snacks, and finally lunch out there before they retreated from the afternoon sun.

They were so happy, calm, focused, and productive.

This year has been ruled by thunderstorms, showers, and torrential rain. We've had the winter blankets out in the morning. 

It's meant they've spent most of their time out the front of the house playing on the streets with their friends, rather than enjoying their SEN garden, which requires drier weather for safety. 

Consequently, they have been very disregulated this summer. They've enjoyed hours of daily socialisation, yet have been unable to fully process and regulate this time afterwards. The balance has been off.

This is different from being bored or even missing the garden in and of itself. 

They were missing what the garden helps internally. The trampoline has been waterlogged, the mud kitchen was dirty from swathes of mud, and the wood of the trapeze has been slippy. The weather even disrupted the gardening season for Sophia. 

It felt wrong, they've felt wrong. Even though they didn't miss the heat from last year, the rain has played havoc with their processing as they routinely expect to have the garden at their full disposal at this time of year. Their indoor regulating techniques have been less effective.

Yesterday brought relief in the form of a woodland walk, foraging for blackberries and climbing trees.