At what age do your kids start to outsmart and outplay you at the game of life?

Because my youngest is killing me at Monopoly and is now learning chess at school. Chess. I wouldn’t know a knight from a prawn.

My 8-year-old knows more about every sporting team in the history of the modern world than me.

And my 10-year-old is constantly reminding me I am not recycling the right way and I am not recycling enough, and I need to stop buying Glad Wrap because I am single-handedly ruining the world.

This lecture starts some mornings at 6:30am and I just need a coffee before I can turn into a great wildlife warrior leaving a zero-carbon footprint.

And I guiltily admit, I love Tim Tams too much to give up buying biscuits in plastic wrapping.

But all these little cute kids who have expanding brains and increasing levels of curiosity and their own interests sometimes makes me so aware time is marching by so quickly.

And I feel old. I mean, Bindi Irwin just became a mother. Little Bindi who I will always remember wrapped up in Steve’s arms. Terri is now a grandmother.

Slow down, Mother Time.  It is 30 years since Nothing Compares 2 U and Vision of Love were number ones in Australia.

Thirty years since Silence of the Lambs and Thelma and Louise were released at the movies.

Three whole decades since super models really were super, and we simply used their first names of Cindy, Naomi, Linda and Claudia.

John Lennon said, “Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans”.

But how lucky we all are to be living in a COVID-free (touch wood) piece of paradise and how lucky am I to be watching my children grow up even if it is way too fast for my liking?

Best I drink from the cup of life and try to savour every sip. And perhaps I will continue to cheat at Monopoly now and again,  just to show my sassy 6—year-old there is life in this old dog yet.