I flew to Bali when my son was 4 weeks old
I flew to Bali when my son was 4 weeks old
to escape the UK
yesterday we went to the local market for our weekly fruit n veg
and as much as I miss my family and friends in the UK, it reminded me of exactly why I made the right choice
friends. everywhere.
children aren't just raised by parents over here, they're raised by the entire country
(no that's not an exaggeration)
from the woman we buy our garlic from, to the hotel staff next door - Micah knows more people than me 😂
guys we were literally walking the dogs the other day, and a woman drove past on a motorbike, stopped next to us and shouted 'Micahhhhhh!'
girl when I tell u my husband and I had no idea who this woman is 😂
in the UK that would be concerning. in Bali it's normal
Micah is only 5 months old
imagine his community when he's 5, 8, 14
I know he's going to be playing with kites in the rice fields by our house
going on international trips with family friends
growing up in a world where he (and us) doesn't have to be scared playing out after dark
if I could summarise it:
he'll grow up being free
sadly, that childhood isn't accessible in the UK anymore
as much as it's heartbreaking, it's a reality
Choosing to raise my family in Bali is already the best thing I could have done for him and his future
not breastfeeding for a year (I stopped at 2 months, trolls get mad at that)
not by spending his every waking moment with me (I don't)
not by 'protecting' him from the different sides of the world (I won't)
I've said it before, but he's 2 months ahead for his age
(literally his weight, growth and developmental milestones)
this baby is absolutely THRIVING, giggling all day, rolling God knows where and absolutely engrossed with his surroundings
(he's even standing now which scares me cos where did my lil baby go 🥹)
we as adults thrive or die based on our environments, right?
so why do we change that for our children?
I'm a firm believer that too many of my generation are bubble wrapping their children
(guys don't even get me started on the hyper-hygienic crunch mums 🥲)
and sure, we have to protect them to a certain extent
but when does it become too much?
when does our protection start having the opposite of the intended effect?
i've been a mum for 5 months. i'm still learning. i'm not perfect
but i never pretend to be anything different from what i am. and that's something i pray that my son learns from me
