Many birds fly away from our cold winters to find warmth and sunshine – but not the Grey Wagtail!

It cheered me up this week to see the wagtails dipping their tails as they walked, even as the ground froze and the ice spread across the puddles. They remind me that sometimes we can learn vital lessons when we find the courage to stay and tough things out.

The Yellow Wagtails, however, prefer to go find sunshine in North Africa – which means a journey of over 10,000 miles powered by small-wings alone. The Yellow Wagtails remind me that sometimes it takes courage and hard work to leave – but that the rewards can be great.

This aspect of parenting can be one of the hardest… When to make our kids stay and tough things out – and when to call it quits, walk away, and make a change?

There is no guidebook for parenting our own unique children, and the wagtails are no help if we’re looking for hard and fast rules.

So, perhaps they can be our reminder that there is value in both lessons. And, if you had a tail, that might be reason enough to wag it!