Under 5s & Me

Writing my morning Daily Gratitude is like a surprise adventure. I never know where I will end up today. I don't know who will join my party 🥳 🎉

Today I ended up with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for my wonderful husband and the extended family I have chosen (commonly referred to as in-laws).
And all the people and circumstances that have been part of my wondrous journey so far, joined this quiet party on paper.

I realized how my definition of love has been changing over the years- and I'm eternally grateful for this profound shift.

Now, love is quiet- like the water that rises through the roots of a growing seed. The belief that it's there nourishing me, protecting me even when I can't see it.

Love is gratitude- an unconditional acceptance of what is, trusting the pace at which the seed sprouts and grows, no rushing, no judging, no questions asked.

Love is strength- to follow your path, like sunshine that shines with an inner steadiness, guided by its own compass, not swayed by the external changing weather.

And most of all, love is action- the act of embracing all parts and aspects of the journey, like the rain that embraces every plant with its life-giving power.

Returning again and again to write gratitude for the past is a loving action.
An act that softens the tiny kinks of dis-ease in the mind, those background apps in your phone that quietly drain the battery. A reminder of how far we have come becomes a fertiliser for joy- nourishing the invisible seeds of even greater abundance yet to bloom.

Conscious Parenting- Creating a 'yes' environment!

Our little people need to move their bodies. They have urges they can't resist. Movement is how they learn and grow, how they make sense of the world around them and gain control of their bodies. The more they move, the more they learn because in the early years, their bodies are teaching their brains not the other way round.

So instead of saying "Stop", "Don't", "No" let's offer our little people opportunities to explore what their bodies are capable of by creating a 'Yes' environment.

Create safe spaces and find alternatives to how they can meet their urges and needs to move their bodies.

As the Movement expert Gill Connell says 'A moving child is a learning child'. You can check out her website for more details to explore the impact movement has on early childhood development, and its role as the central springboard to future success in school… and life!

https://movingsmart.co.nz/a-moving-child-is-a-learning-child/

Conscious Parenting- Our voice becomes our child's inner voice and it's easy to stay calm when things are going well. But what our child is pushing boundaries (which is expected) or do something inappropriate or crazy (which they will because they are learning appropriate behaviors)?

In those moments it's even more important to practise KFC- Kind, Firm yet Calm. Those chaotic, crazy moments are great opportunities to teach our child how to return to a state of calm by modelling it to them. When you, the adult in the room, remain calm despite the chaos, it will deescalate the situation and as a bonus, teach the child a life long skill- how to return to a state of calm, when things get chaotic in their world at age 7, 17 or 37.

And guess what? Your child is more likely to trust you and openly share their challenges with you as they grow up (which all parents want) if they have watched you stay calm during the crazies.

Conscious Parenting- “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” Peggy O'Mara
Whoa! That's powerful!

How to empower your little humans?

All people, young and old want to feel in charge of their lives.
When the adults decide WHAT & WHEN...
& the child decides HOW to do things, it creates a model of shared decision-making, and increases cooperation.

Early years can shape the rest of our adult life!

Did you know that up to 90% of a child's brain 🧠 develops by age 5?