Two Toddlers Upcountry

A few weeks ago my nearly 3 year old son went on a slide for the first time in his life. Yes a slide. At a playground. It made me cry. Seeing him whoooosh down and then go around and climb again and whooosh. Joy all over his face. It entertained him for over an hour. That’s a long time for a nearly three year old.

It made me think about all the other things I’ve deprived my two toddler boys of by choosing to live in upcountry Burundi.

But then I stopped my trail of negative thoughts and started to think about all the amazing opportunities our two little boys have in living in upcountry beautiful Burundi.

We don’t have access to a formal nursery/crèche/kindergarten/toddler group. I get asked nearly every day when I am out with the boys on the road or at the market “where will they go to school” I thought I’d share here some of what our informal and very spontaneous ‘nursery’ looks like and the incredible opportunities our boys have:

Language learning

I am not a natural linguist. I studied German for 5 years at school and don’t even remember how to ask for directions to the bus station. Moving to Burundi I prayed daily for God to help me learn Kirundi and he did a miracle – 9 years in and I can communicate with people in Kirundi. I am not at all fluent and still need a lot of translation, but definitely on the right way to being bilingual. So, it brings me a lot of joy to hear both our toddler boys speaking and understanding three languages. I speak English with them, Claude speaks French and all the other children and helpers speak Kirundi. I think what amazes me the most in their ability to switch between languages depending on who they are talking to, even at 18 months of age! Perhaps their speech is behind a child of their age who is only learning one language, but I am so thankful they have this opportunity to learn different languages.

Animal rearing

When I was a little girl I remember my parents would go to the local farm in the spring to borrow a lamb to take to the local toddler group. It would be the highlight of the term for us! And when we visited my Aunt and Uncle on a North Wales farm I used to love getting up at dawn and driving with my Uncle and cousin up in to the hills to feed the sheep. If I am honest when I moved to Burundi I didn’t imagine I would be living on a mini farm, but I think a secret childhood dream has been fulfilled! Both our boys got a goat for their first birthdays and love to visit the goats and sheep on a daily basis. There is always so much joy when a kid or lamb is born. The hens and rabbits are next door so the boys get to help feed them and collect the eggs. The only downside for us all to the animal side of life are the fleas!

Nathan with the goats

Building with real bricks

We are blessed to own some Duplo and Megablocs, but what both boys love to do is build with real bricks. We made our own bricks for building a house so we have a huge supply of real bricks. They have built a castle, an animal enclosure for the toy animals and towers as high as themselves!

Building with real bricks

Clothes washing by hand

We do own a washing machine, but we rarely have running water so most of the clothes washing is done by hand. I am so thankful for our helpers who do this because I really can’t wash well by hand. There is a skill which must be ingrained at an early age as most people wash by hand in this country. Both our boys love to help wash the clothes. For Caleb, he is now interested in washing and watches intently at how to do it and then copies! Nathan is more excited about playing with the water and bubbles! This activity can keep them entertained for a while, but usually always requires a complete clothes change afterwards!

Podding peas and beans

We have had a few harvests of peas and beans and it is so satisfying to sit and pod them. A great rainy day activity too, sitting inside with the pile of beans or peas to pod and a big container to put them in. We sit on the floor and pod away. The peas especially like to roll everywhere so it becomes a bit of a game chasing them.

Sawing wood and hammering nails

Until recently we didn’t have a toy toolset. So both boys play with the real metal tools. I guess it wouldn’t pass health and safety regulations and I do sometimes get nervous, but at the same time there has to be a level of risk doesn’t there?! Caleb loves to hammer nails into a plank of wood. Nathan loves to hammer anything insight…we therefore keep the hammer for under supervision only. However, the screwdriver, pliers and spanner are often used to ‘fix’ the big red toy car. We have had a lot of carpentry work done around the house and especially for the hen house. Caleb has therefore learnt to saw a plank of wood at age 2!

Caleb loves to use a hammer and nail

Hoeing the land

We have been asking the locals at what age do their children learn to hoe. Caleb loves to help and if the helpers are working he wants his hoe – which is an adult hoe with a shorter stick – and he just gets stuck in. He has great technique! Not only is this great exercise, but also he is learning about cultivation of the land – preparing, planting, caring-for and then harvesting crops. Nathan uses a trowel and helps to dig or shovel the dirt too!

Helping Papa and the workers to hoe the land

Painting and Baking with a friend

It is a real blessing to have a German missionary family living in our town. They are only here for 9 months to learn the culture and Kirundi language so we will miss them so much when they leave. The Mama is very creative and loves to have Caleb over once a week to do craft and baking. Caleb is always so excited to go and I am thankful for these opportunities he is getting. I need to get organised with some craft items and motivation to do these kind of things once the family have moved to the city.

Baking Biscuits

Sand pit

Another great advantage of having a house-building project are the piles of sand that make perfect place for sand play. We take the beach buckets and spades and both boys love to sit and dig in the sand. We plan to build a sandpit area for when the building project has finished so the boys can continue to have a sand pit.

Playing in the sand with friends

Rolling a tyre with a stick

We often see the neighbourhood children rolling a tyre with a stick down the dirt road. Caleb loves to have a go and chase the rolling wheel down the road.

Rolling a wheel down the road

Soft play at home “cushions down”

A common morning activity in our house is for the boys to pull all the cushions/mattresses off the sofas and put them on the floor creating their own soft play area. I never thought I would allow my children to do this…and would still not be happy for them to do this in someone else’s home. However, when the indoor activities are limited I have decided to let them do it. An opportunity to build and create. Toys are hidden and found. Usually lots of laughter and fun.

Fetching water from the valley

We only have running water every 3 days in the night. We fill all the buckets and have a small water storage tank. However, sometimes the water runs out and water needs to be fetched from the valley source – about a 10-minute walk away. Caleb loves to go and help with a bottle. He then carries it back up the mountain and proudly shows us what he has carried. A lovely opportunity to join in with the other children and what they do daily.

Fetching water in the valley

Summary

There are days when I wish there was a nursery/crèche/kindergarten/toddler group that my lively boys could go to for hours and hours. Days when I am tired and feel like all I am saying is “no”, “don’t do that”, “stop hitting” and generally being a full-time referee. There are days when I dream of taking them to a play park or soft play area or library story time and singsong. There are days when I think they should know their colours and be able to write their name or get themselves dressed. There are days when it is so easy to feel like a failure. Other days I compare myself with other Mamas and feel like I really am not good enough. But then I remember, these are the two boys who have been gifted to me. And I can be the best Mama they need. And the monotonous long days of small things all add up to amazing opportunities for two toddler boys living in upcountry Burundi.