Dragons, Bunnies, and Nature’s Small Wonders on the Journey

Today we were picked up by my parents - AKA Grandma and Grandpa - and embarked on a four-and-a-half-hour journey down to the Gower in Wales.

A place I have been visiting since I was a bump, every year, if not more. My Grandad was from the area, and my grandparents bought a cottage for family holidays - an incredible privilege and the backdrop to so many of my childhood memories. Sea, sand, fish and chips. Glorious days indeed.

And now, to be heading back for the second time with my boys - and their first time with their grandparents!

A long car journey…without screens

We haven’t attempted a journey this long with the boys for years. Early experiences (think: baby days and deeply traumatic drives) meant we’ve largely avoided them.

So this time, we came prepared:

• An abundance of snacks

• Audiobooks ready to go

• And fingers crossed for a nap or two

The snacks were devoured, the naps never came.

And yet… we only needed one audiobook towards the very end.

(A Super Great Kids Story, for anyone looking - truly magical and one of my favourite in-the-moment screen time swaps for kids.)

For the most part, they were absorbed without a screen.

What actually held their attention

I couldn’t tell you exactly what kept them engaged for that long.

But I can tell you what stood out:

The excitement of spotting two Roe Deer in a field.
A cloud shaped like a goat.
Black-headed Gulls and a Red Kite circling for sandwich crusts at the service station - my eldest completely stopped in his tracks in the car park.

Crossing into Wales, my mum started a game:
Who can spot the first dragon?

Which, naturally, led to a full discussion on whether dragons are real.

It reminded me of travelling here as a child with my grandma, who would always ask:
Who can spot the first daffodil?

(for those who don’t know these are bright yellow flowers synonymous with spring and Wales).

We spoke, we dictated what we saw as we drove…the bridge crossing another highlight.

Would there be flamingos? Spoonbills? What lived in the water flats below?

The fairy castle.
The sea appearing, disappearing, re-appearing.

And of course, the simple fact that we were together, on an adventure, carried us a long way too.

My littlest was quiet and dozy. I checked in more than once, only to be told:

“Yes Mummy, I have a beaver.”

(what he calls a fever…feels very on-brand for us even if it isn’t intended!)

It’s the details that make the day

This is what I keep coming back to.

It’s the details in the day that bring the joy. It’s the letting nature stop you in your tracks.

Arriving… and the question of screens

We arrived at the cottage and began unpacking.

My dad (Grandpa) said:

“Once the WiFi is working, I’ve got Netflix - we can watch movies each night!”

The WiFi is a new addition to this ancient cottage, and I felt… torn.

Because one of the greatest gifts of this place has always been its disconnection.

I gently explained that the odd movie over the four nights we were here was ok, I just didn’t want it to be a default. And it mustn’t under any circumstances be because the boys had demanded it.

If a team decision for a sofa cuddle and a DVD on the TV (also upgraded since my previous visit) was voted then I was happy for it, holidays and all that. But default movies lead to dependence, and dependence, in my experience, leads to dysregulation.

Screens can be a tool for connection… or a fast track to disconnection. We get to decide the terms.

After that, we walked to the castle.

A ruin overlooking the breathtaking Three Cliffs Bay, just fifteen minutes from the cottage. The view is extraordinary - but again, it wasn’t the sweeping landscape that held the boys most.

It was the small things.

Primroses at the end of the garden—
“The same as at home!”

Two rabbits spotted in the grass… Or were they hares? A full, detailed debate followed - evidence presented from both sides. The final verdict was that they were rabbits.

But the mention of Hares and the fact that it's the Easter Holidays reminded me of an Easter origin story I recently came across.

For those who don’t know, in many places - including in our family - it’s tradition over the Easter weekend to search for chocolate eggs left by the Easter Bunny. But originally, the “Easter bunny” was actually a hare - most likely the European Brown Hare.

The tradition is thought to have roots in German folklore, where a hare lays eggs for children to find in springtime.

And there’s a theory that perhaps the idea of a hare laying eggs didn’t come from pure myth at all, but from observation.

Hares rest in shallow depressions in the ground called “forms” which just so happen to be in the very same open landscapes where ground-nesting birds lay their eggs, directly on the earth.

If disturbed, a bird lifts suddenly into the sky and a hare bolts and what remains are speckled eggs on the ground. It’s easy to imagine how a story might begin.

I love that so many of the traditions we hold onto however magical they seem have their roots in people paying close attention to the natural world around them.

(I did promise some slightly disjointed, rambling writing. But I wanted to include this because it speaks to something I care deeply about - the power of storytelling. Its ability to soothe, to connect, to make meaning of the world… and how much richer it becomes when it’s wrapped in the magic of nature.)

The Wild Shift, in action

When you begin to shift the environment and your focus, even slightly,
children don’t need constant entertainment. They find it, they follow it and they become part of it.

A Simple Place to Start

If you’d like a practical starting point, I’ve created a short guide that introduces the environmental conditions that help restore calmer family rhythms.

👉 Download the free guide: 3 Shifts That Change Your Child’s Behaviour

I love this so much! So helpful — love the simple actions/reframes.

- Julie

Read The Day We Found an Adder (and Why It Matters More Than You Think)