19/11/2025
Beech tree saplings tend to grow in the shade of their mother tree. This helps them grow slowly, which is just what they need to grow strong. They can branch off in new directions, all with the nutrients and protection from the mother tree. The mother tree is supported in turn by her community; plants, animals, micro-life, and fungi that form huge underground networks for her to communicate with others.
Without this protection, saplings might be overexposed. They can grow too tall, too fast and become a bit wobbly. When parents can’t provide adequate protection, children, too, have to ‘grow up quick’. Caring for siblings or parents, finding food or money, and worrying about dangers, children can become quick-witted and savvy, cautious or considered - super powers indeed, born out of a need to survive.
Children need a balance of protection from, and exposure to, challenges so they can grow up at a pace that's right for them. It can sometimes feel like a hard balance to strike with the polarising noise of social media pulling and pushing. But for every individual it is true that only when we feel safe enough can we find time and space to do what we all need and thrive within - connection with others.
What kind of space is helpful for children when they consider themselves and their life stories? Growing Me has thought about this a lot, and helps grownups create a playful space where children can be children no matter their age, and where adults can witness and accept their feelings, reflections, and expressions no matter what... A space from which growing and branching out become possible.
