Mike Fairclough - Rewilding Childhood: Raising Resilient Children Who Are Adventurous, Imaginative and Free

Mike Fairclough says such wise and wonderful things it could change your life forever.

Dame Jacqueline Wilson, bestselling childrens author

Mike Fairclough is a remarkable and visionary human being who has made it his lifes mission to bring happiness to adults and children alike.

Richard Gerver, award-winning speaker and bestselling author

He is, after all, the man who hit the headlines for his unorthodox take on education at West Rise, the East Sussex school where he has put rabbit-skinning, shooting and fire-making alongside mathematics and verbal reasoning on the curriculum Mike is on a mission.

Daily Mail

Fairclough is not just unwrapping the cotton wool from around his children, hes throwing it with glee onto the campfire.

Sunday Telegraph

Mike Fairclough is doing something magical at West Rise Junior School magic that has drawn the eyes of educators from around the world.

Professor Barbara Oakley, New York Times bestselling author

Published in the United Kingdom by:
Hay House UK Ltd, The Sixth Floor, Watson House,
54 Baker Street, London W1U 7BU
Tel: +44 (0)20 3927 7290; www.hayhouse.co.uk

Published in the United States of America by:
Hay House Inc., PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100
Tel: (1) 760 431 7695 or (800) 654 5126
www.hayhouse.com

Published in Australia by:
Hay House Australia Pty Ltd, 18/36 Ralph St, Alexandria NSW 2015
Tel: (61) 2 9669 4299; www.hayhouse.com.au

Published in India by:
Hay House Publishers India, Muskaan Complex,
Plot No.3, B-2, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi 110 070
Tel: (91) 11 4176 1620; www.hayhouse.co.in

Text Mike Fairclough, 2022

The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, photographic or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted or otherwise be copied for public or private use, other than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews, without prior written permission of the publisher.

The information given in this book should not be treated as a substitute for professional medical advice; always consult a medical practitioner. Any use of information in this book is at the readers discretion and risk. Neither the author nor the publisher can be held responsible for any loss, claim or damage arising out of the use, or misuse, of the suggestions made, the failure to take medical advice or for any material on third-party websites.

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Tradepaper ISBN: 978-1-78817-718-4

E-book ISBN: 978-1-78817-719-1

Audiobook ISBN: 978-1-78817-737-5

To my rewilding and rebellious wife, Sundeep Sitara. You are everything this book is about.

And to my inspiring mother, Marilyn Fairclough. Thank you for giving me such a creative and liberating childhood.

There is a glowing quote from me on the front cover of Mike Faircloughs previous book Wild Thing. Im not usually someone who enjoys any kind of self-help or advisory book, even from someone as charismatic as Mike, but Wild Thing made a deep impression on me. I wrote then that he says such wise and wonderful things it could change your life forever.

Now hes done it again! Rewilding Childhood (brilliant title) is easy to read, with simple messages anyone can absorb, and yet its profound, in a very creative way. In these difficult times of trouble and change, we tend to feel fearful and want to protect children from any possible danger. Mike favours children leading a life full of joy, freedom and creativity and encourages us to stand back when they want to explore and experiment. Hes totally responsible and always keeps a careful eye on his own children, but he lets his little girls climb trees and run wild outside, often joining in their imaginary games.

He makes sure the lucky pupils at West Rise Junior School in Eastbourne have a chance to explore the marshland neighbouring the school and learn how to build fires, make bows and arrows, keep bees and tend various animals including a herd of water buffalo. Ive visited this groundbreaking school myself and was blown away by the childrens happiness, their mature responses, their enthusiasm, their creativity and also their academic achievement. I even took a trip on the school quad bike to see the water buffalo myself.

Mike practises what he preaches and rebels joyously and his imagination, love of nature, and delight in taking calculated risks work wonders. He somehow manages to get all the officials on his side, and Ofsted inspectors sing his praises.

This isnt just a book to show an enthusiastic new way of bringing up children its a book for adults too, so they feel empowered and optimistic. Please read it!

The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.

Joseph Campbell

Running through the pages of this book is a call for a type of action rarely endorsed by parents and educators. Its a trait usually associated with misrule, defiance and chaos. However, I hope to reframe it as an ally and friend to us all.

It is the act of rebellion.

Not the pointless, destructive or aggressive kind. But the sort of liberating rebellion that opens us up and helps us develop on every level of our being. A joyful rebellion.

Were living in a time of rapid change and turbulence. Our future is increasingly unpredictable. Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, and the resulting social and economic uncertainty, life had its challenges. But now, more than ever before, were facing an unprecedented level of adversity and change.

Naturally, this can make us feel very anxious and fearful. And, as parents, were likely to have real concerns for our childrens wellbeing and for their future. Will they be able to cope, survive and thrive in an ever-changing world? What inner resources should we be equipping them with to ensure that they can lead happy and fulfilling lives?

Along with these critical questions is the equally loaded realization that our old, cherished ways of living dont really work anymore. Whether it be on the big issues, like the environment and the economy, or the more personal aspects of our lives, such as childrearing, work and relationships, theres a strong sense that change is required an evolution and revolution in how we do things. I believe that we could all benefit from a healthy dose of rebellion and shaking things up a bit.

Ill use the word parent from here to describe the broad and varied ways in which families are constructed. Parents and carers may be grandparents, guardians, foster parents or anyone else with parental responsibility for a child. The parental role isnt confined to the traditional concept of a biological parent. The great responsibility and privilege of parenting is as nuanced and unique as our individual lives.

As parents, we need to be prepared to rebel against our old ways of doing things. Parenting strategies and belief systems have been passed down through the ages. Our certainties and messages about a changing world now require a different way of living within it. To achieve this end, I invite you to facilitate your childrens naturally rebellious nature, free spirit and imagination. And to view their joyful rebellion as something to guide and evolve with in equal measure.