There is nothing worse than after finally getting your children all tucked in and you sit down to have a little bit of alone time (or your head is in the freezer looking for your hidden stash of ice cream), then you hear a door open and feet coming down the hallway. Since my daughter was an infant, she has always had a hard time falling asleep. We've literally tried everything! Now that she can read to herself, it's a game changer in our house, but she still relies on one item in her room---a nightlight!
When we brought Feather, the Owl home, my daughter finally felt like she had some control over her own bedtime routine. She can choose the color of the night light or it can cycle through. She can choose the noise she wants each night or no sound at all. Finally, she loves to add her own essential oils to the diffuser portion of Feather, the Owl. I only trust Young Living oils in my house especially because I have kids and a dog. There is a specific line just for kids, babies and pets!
The Seed to Seal commitment and the amount of care and attention that has gone into formulating the oils is why I will never use other essential oils! You should only look for therapeutic grade oils. Some companies literally put synthetic chemicals into their bottles, which will only cause harm for your family.
Want to start your oil journey? Join my mailing list! Then, reach out to me for more information!
Need more help with Childhood Stress and Anxiety? Read my Free Guide.
Grab the Free PDF 15 Ways to Build Self compassion here
Today, our mindset focus is on Kindness! Studies show that performing kindness acts activates areas of pleasure, social connection, and trust in the brain. Scientists also found that when someone only thinks of the idea of giving, endorphins and oxytocin hormones, which elevate the mood, are released making him/her feel better and happier for hours. Read about why Kindness is important to the brain.
Affirmation: I am Kind, I am Giving
Snack:
Let's spread kindness by thinking of shareable snack packs to bring to neighbors or essential workers. Here are a few ideas.
A list of snack ideas to give out to neighbors or essential workers:
Printable tags:
Mindfulness Activity: Worry Rocks
Activity: Painting Kindness Rocks
We absolutely love participating by sharing and finding kindness rocks. Our town has a Facebook group that is very active and it started at a Nursing Home as a fun activity for the residents to do as well as for them to receive from town members. Whenever we travel to other states we've started finding them as well. Now, we enjoy painting rocks and sending kindness messages to friends and families as well as hiding them when we go out hiking.
From this website: Here's how you can create Kindness Rocks with your family or in your classroom. You'll need these supplies:
- Palm-sized, smooth rocks
- Acrylic paint and thin brushes
- Paint pens or permanent marker (optional)
- Clear outdoor sealant spray
Gather your rocks. Look for ones with a smooth side that fit in the palm of your hand. About 3” is the best size. (We got ours from our river rock landscaping.)
Invitation to Play: Giving the Stones a bath
Kids absolutely love to play with water and soap or shaving cream make it 100% more fun! Set up a water table or a shallow bin with water and soap or shaving cream. Add some sponges and scrub brushes. Set a basket of collected rocks (from the kids or ones that you provide). Also, set a basket of plastic animals. Tell them that the rocks and animals need a bath today! This should engage them for quite some time. To extend the play, then build a habitat scene with the rocks and animals while they dry on a towel using the color as the terrain such as a green towel for grass or a blue one for water.
Enjoy the shift in the brain this week!
Find the 5 Day Break THRU Boredom challenge in my facebook community too! That's where you can participate for prizes and get more free trainings
If you like this blog, you may also like this Free Guide: 5 Ways to Reduce Childhood Stress and Anxiety.
Grab the Free PDF 15 Ways to Build Self compassion here
In this blog post, the importance of cultivating gratitude within our families is discussed as a way to make a positive impact on the world. The author emphasizes the need for a "Family Mindset" that starts with self-love and gratitude, which can then be shared with others. The post suggests various activities and practices to foster gratitude, such as having a gratitude jar where family members can write down what they are grateful for and reading them together on New Year's Day. The post also includes links to resources for interactive read-aloud sessions and scavenger hunts for both younger and older children.
Don't forget to check out the author's Facebook community for the 5 Day Break THRU Boredom challenge, where you can participate for prizes and get additional free trainings. You may also be interested in the author's Free Guide on reducing childhood stress and anxiety.
Read more...
We've officially been on stay at home order for protection from the Covid-19 virus for 5 weeks. The honeymoon is over!!!!
At first, our family took a little break from structure and scheduling, then tried some structure and scheduling, and now we've run out of ideas and need some novelty.
Over the next 5 days, I will post a theme play day for you and your family to try throughout the week. It will have a set theme and include an affirmation, an invitation to play, snack ideas and an interactive read aloud or yoga sequence for the day. An affirmation will reset the mind and set an intention for the week. An invitation to play will allow a way for the family to bond and find joy in the power of play. Hopefully , your child(ren) will replay the scenario throughout the week and make it more complex each day. The snack and interactive activity also adds creativity and inspiration for playing out the theme. Comment daily to share photos or experiences as we reset our families together!!
What is an affirmation?
Positive affirmations are simple sentences that people use to describe how they want to be, or how they want their circumstances to be, in a way that affirms that it’s already true, or on its way to becoming true. People repeat positive affirmations in order to change the way they feel about themselves, or their perception of their circumstances, so that eventually they arrive to the change that the affirmation is supposed to lead them.
A family that plays together stays together!
This image highlights the importance of play for the brain, stress management, relationships, and overall wellness.
A connection to nature reduces stress and anxiety as it engages all of the senses.
What exactly are Invitations to Play?
This term is used a lot by Early Childhood Educators and is deeply rooted in the Reggio philosophy of allowing children to direct their own play by offering open-ended, meaningful resources to explore. It simply describes a little set up of play materials for your child to come and discover and play with in any way that they choose. It can be as simple as setting out the tea set and play food on a little table with napkins, bringing out the building blocks and setting them on the grass or presenting the child with an unusual object for investigation. Most of the time, by placing toys or materials in a new location or presenting them in an original way, the child’s imagination is sparked and they can come to it with fresh eyes and new ideas!
My goal for the Family Mindset series is for you to find some fresh ideas and set some intentions for your family to grow a positive mindset together. Please join us!
Find the 5 Day Break THRU Boredom challenge in my facebook community too! That's where you can participate for prizes and get more free trainings.
If you like this blog, you may also like this Free Guide: 5 Ways to Reduce Childhood Stress and Anxiety.
Grab the Free PDF 15 Ways to Build Self compassion here
Affirmation: I AM STRONG
Yoga Benefit #30: Builds awareness for transformation. The mind is a powerful thing and a catalyst for change in the body. You really don't have to be on the mat to practice yoga everyday. If you bring these mindfulness, affirmations, and breathing exercises into your daily routine, you will notice transformation happening.
Did you know I made a 90 Days to Joyful Living challenge in my FB group? Go to Guide #2 to get started anytime!! I want you to stick around longer than this week!! I'm here to help you transform your mind and body and that is a journey to travel together.
Day 3: My moon salutation video
Daily Q+A: Have you noticed any changes in your thought patterns or sensations in your body yet this week? Transformation begins by bringing awareness to the body and mind.
Grab the Free PDF 15 Ways to Build Self compassion here
