Getting a pet seems to be a staple in American culture. Kind of a given as part of the American dream that includes the house and the white picket fence. A pet can be a loving companion for a child or a way for a slightly older kid to practice being responsible. But being around animals can be so much more for a child learning how to express themselves or how to function within society.
I went for a run the other day in the streets of South Tampa, the most beautiful neighborhood I had seen in a while since I am usually surrounded by nature. The houses looked straight out of a Hemingway novel. You could smell the salty ocean in the air. And everyone that passed by offered a gracious good morning. It was just picture perfect. I got lost in thought just enjoying my surroundings. Then, in the distance, something I considered unusual caught my eye.
Parents are often tired and overwhelmed and this feeling often leads to the “No! Don’t get dirty response!”. Yes, spending those extra 30 minutes cleaning up an unnecessary mess can seem like an enormous and unwanted task that we will do anything in our power to avoid. Totally understandable! But once in a while, let them get dirty! Let them make a mess!
When I was a child, the saying “children should be seen and not heard” was commonly used to describe how children ought to behave. It was as though people were expected to mold their children into little superhumans devoid of feelings or emotions of any sort. This concept, while sounding extreme, sums up society quite well.
Children are naturally curious and have a craving to learn things they see. Simple tasks that we do around the house becomes a source of intrigue and often children end up playing “house” sort of speak. But why not use this curiosity to teach them from a young age how to do daily activities that will assist them as grown-ups? Many young adults head off to college not knowing how to do their own laundry, make their bed or keep track of their finances. These are all activities that are common in the house hold. Yet, parents are usually so busy making it work that they prefer to do these activities themselves instead of soliciting the child’s help. But this is actually great and organic opportunities for children to learn various subjects that relate to daily living.
ABOUT KAREN
In the search to offer her children an education beyond their usual surroundings, and seeking to exist outside her chronic illness, Karen Matamoros created a life of exploration. From traveling the world to diving within, resetting boundaries, curating an intentional & artistic life, and redefining what entrepreneurship while being a homeschooling single mom looks like. Her ability to create freedom within her own life has led her to offer coaching to parents that wish to create freedom in life, business and homeschooling while creating daily flow and cultivating their relationship with their children. At the core of her work, she believes in catering to the child as a whole, and thus she offers kids and teens classes that cater to the entrepreneurial spirit and to help children grow into their dreams. She has also founded Project: KAring, an alternative education portal for kids focused on the body, mind, and soul. She created this community to make free form education easily accessible to every child, through a directory, forums and scholarships. She uses her artistic expression to paint her world with intentionality, from curating each piece of her home and garden to organizing magical lived experiences. Although an entrepreneur her whole life, she started to truly live her passion when she sold her 6-figure business in 2017, and set out to travel full-time with her two daughters for many years before settling in Miami to create a cozy home for her children to grow into young women.