Thriving During the Holiday Season with Kindfulness
The holidays are exciting but they also can wreak havoc on our ability to be be intentional and present. I owe a large part of my sanity during the busy-ness of this time of year on the time I set aside to reflect on the true meaning of the holidays, so that I can focus on what really matters to me and my loved ones. Perspective allows us to remember the true meaning of the holidays. In this article I offer some ideas about how to tune in, be present, be intentional about where you exert your energy and make the necessary shifts to tend to your needs and nurture yourselves so that you’re able to really enjoy each day during the festive season as it comes!
Highly Recommended Kindfulness Reads for Children
As the gift-giving season is upon us, I have been receiving lots of requests about my recommendations for Kindful books for children. Instead of a usual blog post, I thought I would compile a list of books that my family and I enjoy, as well as those I have shared with clients and loved ones alike, which have been helpful and meaningful for us. Please share any titles with me that I may have missed so that I can add them to my personal collection, as well as share them with others who are on a quest like us to help raise and nurture a generation of kind, compassionate, loving and emotionally intelligent children.
Raising Children with an Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is more than just a buzzword or a popular #hashtag— which is why it’s no wonder that avid practitioners corroborate the plethora of research that suggests it has the power to significantly and positively impact the fabric of our social and emotional lives, including our health, happiness, personality and career. While research is clear that gratitude is one of the healthiest emotions human beings can embody, what isn’t so obvious or common sensical is how to teach and practise gratitude with little ones.
Why Time-Ins are the New Time-Out
School is back in which means that stress, BIG emotions and challenging behaviours are back on the rise in many households. While Time-outs are a go-to for many adults hoping to correct a child’s behaviour, I often hear adults question if the strategy is effective, given that Time-outs commonly result in power struggles and because adults sometimes find themselves sending children on Time-outs multiple times a day or week, for the same behaviours! For this reason, I thought it would be helpful to discuss why Time-outs are not such an effective behaviour modification tool and how the lesser-known strategy of Time-ins can actually revolutionize discipline and be a game-changer for many families.
Bringing Kindfulness into Back to School Preparation
During these lasts few days and weeks of Summer Break, the realization that change is imminent will inevitably preoccupy the minds of most school age children. Mindfulness can be an invaluable tool to help cultivate resilience, emotional intelligence and awareness— which can help to ease worries as well as support children to navigate the challenges life throws their way with calm, confidence and grace.
Those of you who have some familiarity with Mindfulness and who have experienced its benefits first-hand are likely aware of how it can be helpful to make a smoother transition back to school. But, for those of you who do not have first hand experience, here are some tips on how to establish a Mindfulness practice with your child, so as to help them activate the superpowers required to calm their worries and any other BIG emotions they may be experiencing.
Mindfulness + Mother Nature: How Nature Boosts Joy, Acceptance, Calm and Kindness
Just as a formal mindfulness meditation practices enable us to sooth and nurture our internal systems, so too can connecting with nature. Carving out time to enjoy and be in nature is a simple and effective way to help us feel calm, rejuvenated, happier and more grounded.
A great way to spend time being in and enjoying nature, especially with little ones, is to create mandalas.