You probably won’t have escaped the back to school vibe this week, even if you, like this Philosopher-in-Residence, don’t have little darlings of your own.

I love spending time with my little niece and, perhaps because I don’t have to field answers 24/7, also enjoy her toddler inquisitive nature and the mix of questions genuinely trying to learn new things and exploiting her own power to get on adults’ nerves by endlessly asking why.

When I last visited her a couple of weeks ago, this led me to thinking about infant development and the speed at which little ones attain new vocabulary and their own favoured vernacular. (who said this blog theme Summer of Pseud was over, eh?)

Whilst playing in the garden during the halcyon hot sunny days, my niece shuffled over to make some space in her watermelon paddling pool and invited me to hop in and cool off by patting the empty spot and saying “Come and have a little relax, Aunty Anna!”

I just loved this turn of phrase, all the more for the fact that the grammar wasn’t quite there but the kind sentiment burst through. This in turn made me wonder, why are people completely understanding of and even enamoured by, children learning their first language with all the stumbles and mis-steps that entails, but much less widely tolerant of appreciating adults communicating in a language that isn’t their first?

You may not be able to sizzle in the sun followed by a dip in a fruit-faced paddling pool in the current British weather, but you can change the climate by being more kind when next having a conversation with someone for whom isn’t instinctive. Be patient, kind, helpful and don’t resent having to support the conversation along. This might help you both to “have a little relax”.

Next fortnight, I’ll be musing On Loss. This will be a sombre one but I hope it can help people experiencing feelings of loss at this time of year.

Please get in touch with any particular aspects of this topic you’d like me to write about.

In the meantime,

Happy Planning

PS If you want some other free tips for your business life, check out the Working Well blog – out fortnightly on Wednesdays, courtesy of Make Me A Plan’s Productivity Expert, Penny Le Kelly. Browse the latest edition here:

https://www.makemeaplan.com/news/that-back-to-school-feeling/