Mindful Wild Steps

The rain managed to hold off for us today 💧 Lots of leaf play on our excursion... I'm going to miss autumn! It's my favourite season.

Please don't assume your older child is too old for this. They aren't. They belong here.

Our older kids and teens bring so much to Wild Steps.

They chat around the fire, learn skills, build friendships, explore independently, and often drift between hanging out with each other and joining conversations with the adults.

Every older child we've had attend has enjoyed the space, and I'd genuinely love to continue growing that community. I know this age can be tricky. Sometimes children aren't sure what they're looking for, and parents aren't sure what will suit them.

Though one thing I've learnt is that you never really outgrow nature, connection, community, or adventure 🌿

If you're home educating a child aged 10+, you can use code WILD10 for 10% off your entire booking.

(PS. It applies to the whole booking as long as one child is 10 or over)

NO MINDFUL MINIS TOMORROW!
I genuinely hate cancelling sessions 😭💛

Every time there's a questionable forecast, I find myself checking multiple weather apps, refreshing them far too often, and hoping they'll suddenly change their minds ☹️

One of the hardest parts of running an outdoor program is that sometimes nature gets the final say.

Tomorrow's Mindful Minis won't be going ahead, and while I know it's the right call, it's still disappointing. I know families have planned around it, little ones have been looking forward to it, and honestly, I have too.

The upside of an outdoor program is that we get all the beautiful things that come with being outside. The downside is that every now and then the weather reminds us who's really in charge 🌧️

Hopefully we'll be back to sunshine, muddy boots, adventures, and hot cuppas next week ☕🌿💛

Jaya xx

There are some moments you just know you're going to dream about when you're old ❤️

I know there is sooo much out there for little ones in this age group 💙 But creating this for my own daughter has been amazing, the community that's grown and friendships that have been made is really something special and I honestly wish I could just share it with everyone 🥹
Bookings are now open for Block 3
Mindful Minis Bush Playgroup
Mangalore
18th, 25th June, 2nd July
You can book on mindfulwildsteps.com/mindful-minis

Can you tell which one was made with AI and which one I made myself? 👀

I’ve seen these graphics everywhere lately. Every second post seems to have the same AI look, so I got curious and decided to make one myself... and then create the same thing using AI.

Side by side, they're both nice.

One took very little effort. One took a little more time.

Yet the one I made myself feels like me.

It has my photos. My wording. My colours. My style. The little things that make Mindful Wild Steps feel like me!

AI can be a brilliant tool for ideas, proofreading, brainstorming and all sorts of things. Though I think there's something worth remembering when it comes to creating content.

When creating something yourself:

✅ You get to use your own photos
✅ You get to use your own wording
✅ It looks original
✅ You get to use your colours, fonts etc
✅ It helps the planet

Compared to...

❌ Generic stock style looking images (that usually look a bit funky)
❌ The same layouts everyone else is using
❌ You sound like everyone else
❌ Strange AI mistakes
❌ It doesn't always make the correct size (exhibit a being the second image here when the prompt told it the correct size)
❌ Content that could belong to almost anyone

I also realised something else while making these.

The graphic I created myself actually didn't take much longer.

Once you've got your colours, fonts and photos organised, creating your own content can be surprisingly quick.

It may seem a bit counter productive using AI for this image to tell you why making your own content is superior haha, but I wanted to show you a comparison.

So now I'm curious...

Which one do you prefer?

Mental health conversations often focus on boundaries, self-care, resilience and healthy relationships.

Though one thing I don't think we talk about enough is empathy.

Most of us know empathy as a positive thing. The ability to understand people, see different perspectives and recognise that everyone is carrying experiences we know very little about.

Though lately I've been reflecting on the challenges that can come with it too.

What happens when understanding somebody's experiences makes it harder to see the impact of their behaviour?

What happens when compassion, accountability, grief and hope all become tangled together?

It's a topic that touches friendships, family relationships, parenting, community and even the way we see ourselves.

I've shared some thoughts over on my Substack for anyone who enjoys the deeper dives into life, the mind and human behaviour 🤍

https://open.substack.com/pub/fromthefoxden/p/the-gifts-and-challenges-of-being?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=47x8ew

Happy Birthday Mum ❤️

I honestly don't even know where to start with this one.

The older I get, and the older my own children get, the more I find myself looking at you and thinking, wow... you did a really good job.

Growing up, you've always said that I was a pretty easy child. Back then I probably just accepted that and moved on.

Now I'm raising my own children and seeing how different personalities can be, how different needs can be, how different each child is, and it's given me a whole new appreciation for what it means to be a parent.

Because children don't magically become kind, thoughtful, capable adults all on their own.

They need guidance. They need support. They need someone in their corner.

And you've always been that person.

Not just for me, but for all of us.

I look at myself and my brothers and I genuinely think you should be proud. You've raised good humans. Kind humans. Hard-working humans. People who care about others and try to do the right thing.

And the older I get, the more I realise that so much of who I am comes from the example you set.

Growing up there were things I wished were different. I think every child feels that way about something at some point. But now, looking back with adult eyes, I can see how many of those things shaped me into who I am today.

I can see the lessons hidden inside them.

I can see the love behind them.

And I can see how much of your life has been spent putting your family first.

One of the things I admire most about you is your empathy.

Life has thrown plenty at you over the years. More than your fair share at times. Yet somehow you've held onto your kindness, your compassion, your integrity and your ability to care deeply about other people.

You could have become bitter.

You could have become cynical.

Instead you've stayed you.

And I think that's incredibly rare.

The truth is, if there is anyone I'd want to be more like, it's you.

Because you care. Because you love fiercely. Because you show up. Because you've always put the people you love first.

I'm so grateful that you're my mum.

Happy Birthday ❤️ Love you always.

Lots of little toes feeling the cool fresh water and wet knees yesterday at Mindful Minis Bush Playgroup 💙🩵 It's so beautiful seeing these amazing parents get their little ones out in nature (even when the weather isn't 'perfect')
Some time having chats and hot cuppas in the barn and ended the session with some beautiful sunshine outside.
Thanks so much to all of the wonderful people who come spend time with us each week 💙🧊☔