By Emily Stonehouse

It’s a time of year where kids are on the forefront.

And they should be. It’s a season of magic and wonder. As we age, that sparkle dims and dwindles; until sometimes it sputters to a halt altogether.

Seeing this season through the eyes of my own kids has allowed me to reconnect with my inner child. The one who tossed tinsel on the evergreen that towered in our living room, and stayed up past bedtime to catch a glimpse of Santa.

But it’s truly not all magic and wonder for every kid this time of year. It’s also a time of pinched pockets and stretched securities. It’s no secret that the cost of living has sky-rocketed; basic needs falling through the cracks at every turn.

When I spoke to representatives from Moorelands Camp in Dorset, their number one priority was “to let kids be kids”.

And what does that mean, exactly? To be a kid?

That definition can change entirely based on who is sharing. But to me, to be a kid means to feel free. To let go. To explore the bold and beautiful world that was seemingly built brick by brick around you, in a way that powers you forward whilst holding onto the strings that carried you from place to place.

To be a kid is to play, to create, to ask questions and dive deeper. It’s to laugh and joke and find your footing on a pathway that’s comprised of hopscotch and pebbles.

It’s to believe in the wonders of tomorrow, the curiosities of today.

It should be a chapter where you are unabashedly yourself as you navigate the rights and wrongs, the passions and the pleasures, the highs and the lows of a world that never stops spinning.

But so many kids don’t have that.

Not now, not ever. And due to the cyclical nature of poverty, their kids won’t have it, and neither did their parents.

So how do we add magic and wonder to each little life?

During a season where basics are encouraged and needed, perhaps we can take a step back and think about where the magic lies? Contributing funds to food banks is crucial, but perhaps so is contributing to kids’ camps? Maybe toy drives need more focus, or Christmas cookies more shared?

It’s not always easy. Many of us are making do with what we have, just barely scraping by on our own. It shouldn’t be up to the individuals to make their marks. It is the responsibility of our elected officials to find the ones who fall between the cracks, and pull them to light. There are a select few who make the decisions for many, and those decisions aren’t always with the marginalized at top of mind. A thought to remember during each and every election time.

But with what we can do, let us add sparkle to the season; magic and wonder and make-believe and memories. Building a foundation for our kids today, as the ones who will lead us tomorrow.

Because it’s the time of year where kids are on the forefront.

And that’s exactly where they should be.