Little Storytellers

16/05/2022

We thought we'd share Rem's creative writing today. The theme was writing about a character strength. Let us know what you think of the theme and how it forms part of your life!

Ku's Favourite Thing by Remy Ilic

In the cold, icy frost of Alaska there lived a yeti. His name was Ku. Ku found it hard to show love. He had no friends or family to show him. His parents had passed away in an avalanche and he missed them so very much. He was all alone in his ice cave and was sad and grumpy.

Ku sat quietly drawing cave paintings and eating snow cones. All the other yetis thought he was no fun to play with and that he was always angry. Every day Ku liked to go to the river to catch fish.

On his morning walk to the river, he saw a penguin stuck in a tree.

”HELP!” cried the penguin.
“How in the Alps did you get up there?” asked Ku.
“I wanted to see how tall I could be so I climbed up but I am too scared to get down!”

Ku didn't see anyone else who could help so he reached up with his big, white, soft, furry arms and gently grabbed the penguin.

“Thank you so much! If you hadn't come along, I would have been stuck up there for hours!” the penguin’s eyes gleamed.

Ku didn't know what to say. The penguin thought for a bit.

“My name is Saskia, how about you come over to my house? I have fish pie and blueberry icicles.”

Ku had never been invited to anything before and he wanted to have a friend so badly.

“Yes please!” he said. His heart grew warm and fuzzy.

Ku and Saskia spent all day talking for hours.They went riding down hills on a slay. Ku taught Saskia how to draw and Saskia taught Ku how to bake. But most of all, they were the best of friends and Ku felt warm-hearted once more. He felt the one thing he loved the most. Love!

19/02/2022

We've been getting into breathing this end...

Conscious breathing helps children deal with difficult and often big and overwhelming emotions. It helps increase their ability to perform and think well for themselves under stress. In fact it has an enormous amount of benefits for folk of all ages (my rudimentary list covers an A4 side of paper) and is really fun to do together.

My Dad showed me techniques when I was a child, when I wasn't able to sleep or had pre-exam nerves. His father taught him.

Forming part of yoga and other eastern philosophies for thousands of years, conscious breathing or pranayama draws in life force energy and helps you to access your body's innate intelligence. It creates a bridge to your own inner being and helps you get to know yourself better, which leads to greater self-love.

Aside from deeper connection to Self, emotional regulation and mental strength, it also promotes better sleep, stimulates self-healing, reduces anxiety and depression, alkalises the body, oxygenates your blood to carry more nutrients, awakens dormant functions of the brain, improves digestion and boosts your mood! Wow! One of my main interests is that it unblocks trauma held in the body. It truly is a powerhouse of health.

There are lots of conscious breathing exercises that are simple, easy and have an immediate effect. We like the 'Box' which is four counts while you inhale through the nose, hold for four counts, four counts while you exhale out of the mouth and then hold for four counts. Even deepening the breath and breathing from the belly makes a difference throughout the day.

Have you had any experiences with breathwork with you and/or your children that you would like to share? We would love to hear them!

Thank you to Tim Goedart for his photograph from Unsplash.

14/02/2022

Write your own Love Story in 100 words! We would love love love to hear your stories!

When the Willow tree whispered it could hardly be heard. “Sing louder!” spoke the Oak. “Be bolder!” toned the Elm in encouragement. “Feel your power!” bellowed the Birch. The Willow fluttered and floated on the breeze. It began feeling the love of the wind, the birds and bees and butterflies, the truffling of warm-blooded mammals. It felt its roots joined to brothers, sisters, mother, grandmothers and great great great grandmothers. The tribal, vibrational underground cathedrals of funghi friends. “I am love!” it rang out. Everything smiled.

08/01/2022

We hope you had a peaceful festive period and New Year! Stepping into 2022 feels like a fresh start. Remy, nearing teenhood, is in the process of creating illustrations for our children's picture book. The manuscript had a journey of its own, travelling through various different evolutions with feedback from authors, CYA editors, children and family. We are very grateful to local authors and illustrators Matt Ottley and Tina Wilson for their detailed guidance, support and encouragement. Here's to a happy, healthy, productive year ahead!

Thanks to Olia Gozha on Unsplash for the photo :) https://unsplash.com/

24/06/2021

The belief that everything around us has a Spirit, is alive and animated by the spark of life is ancient. Indigenous cultures live this so deeply there is no separation. Animism predates organised religion and dates back to Paleolithic times, maybe many eons further...

Communing with the spirit of a plant or mountain, musical instrument or an artwork-in-the-making creates a relationship. As Alan Watts said "You didn't come into this world. You came out of it like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here".

We are surrounded by allies that give us nourishment, strength and protection if we ask and offer gratitude for their help as we brave this emerging new world.

Welcoming the benevolence of Nature into our bodies and minds, the cycles, seasons and elements, tapping into this ancient intelligence in daily life I'm so curious to see what experiences unfold. There are untold riches and so much inspiration for stories from feeling into these relationships and the mythology surrounding them.

22/02/2021

How do we help our budding children bridge the gap to high school? Despite all the best intentions in the world, it's an emotional transition.

Remy is 12 years old this week and just started high school. She used to have 130 children in her primary school. After 7 years the teachers and children knew each other like family. Now she has 100 children in her year. As the end of a chapter loomed and a whole new book was about to open, we talked a lot about her past, her memories and her mixed feelings. What exciting opportunities this new place was offering, new friendships and experiences.

Remy was supported through orientation events, we read the high school handbook and watched a welcome video. We were directed where to get her uniform, shoes and stationery. She experienced waves of nervousness and anxiety. Would she fit in, would she make new friends, where was she meant to go...

After her first day she was flying high. She made new friends, loved her new class and being with her old friends from her primary school at lunchtimes. She turned to me one day and said "I feel for the first time like I have a family, one at home, and one at school." There were also tears. Of overwhelm and feeling like a small fish in an ocean, of feeling lost, worry about doing things 'right', and sensitivity about comments being made about her. The change also triggered old wounds of being part of a split family and perceptions about that.

One of the most valuable pieces of guidance I found was to listen, fully and consciously, when a child shares their feelings and worries. To reassure them and offer lots of hugs. It may sounds simple but it's profound. Brenee Brown's Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto and her parenting books are a helpful resource. I also read that medical research has linked both sugar and screen time to increased rates of depression and anxiety in teens so these are also on my radar. And we still make time for a story before sleep. Our current favourite is a re-read of The Worst Witch series.

If you have any questions or stories to tell about your child's transition don't hesitate to get in touch!

26/01/2021

13/10/2020

For school holidays we spontaneously visited the Palace cinema in Byron for the first time since it’s re-opening. The film The Secret Garden was playing. We sat in the dark in pregnant anticipation. Popcorn was fleeting. The film swallowed us whole: a gripping visual, emotional, aural feast. The c...