Totallykidsdurban

❤️

You only have
1 year with a baby.
2 with a toddler.
10 with a child.
And 6 with a teen.

That’s it.

So yes
it matters now.

Get on the floor and play.
Make the memories.
Make the mess.

Say yes more to the little things.
Book the spontaneous trip.
Stay a little longer.
Laugh a little louder.

Because these years fly by.
And one day,
this will be the season you miss most.

Be here.
Be present.
This is the part you don’t get back.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1AErFPosGD/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Yesterday, my son and I faced a moment...

One that many would consider trivial, but for us,
it became pretty profound...

Driving home from school on the busy highway, my bird-loving boy spotted an injured pigeon dangerously close to traffic.

This animal-fanatic mom could not ignore his desperate pleas to rescue the helpless feathered being.
At that moment, nothing was as important...
"Mom, you have to go back, please mom."

I knew this wasn't just about a bird…

This was about his values,
his compassion,
and whether I would honour what deeply moved his soul.

So I did what any adrenaline-fuelled, slightly terrified mother might do - pulled over, reversed along the emergency lane, and waited for a break in the trucks before dashing to rescue this little creature that had captured my son's heart.

I won't lie- it was a rather hair-raising experience that my nervous system won't easily forget! But when I got back into the car, I was left with no uncertainty... That act had meant everything to my boy.

My son, overwhelmed with gratitude and relief that both the bird and I had made it safely back into the car, cradled his new feathered friend all the way home.

Now I am not suggesting anyone risk their safety on busy highways! Safety first, always.

But here's what I reflected on (as soon as my survival hormones had calmed down enough for me to think rationally again):

Our children are constantly showing us what's precious to them.

Sometimes it's through words,
Sometimes through tears,
Sometimes through passionate interests that might even seem excessive to us.

But when we listen - really listen - and take action on what resonates with them, we're saying something powerful:

"Your heart matters to me.
What you care about is important.
ALL your feelings are valid and I want to hear them.”

In a world that often dismisses children's concerns as silly or inconvenient, it's these moments of being truly seen that remain with them for a lifetime.

Listen to what ignites the souls of your kids and teens.
Often the smallest things to us are the biggest things to them.
And our capacity to see our children and hear them,
without minimising what matters to them,
Is what truly shapes who they become.

When we honour what moves our children's hearts,
we teach them a critically important lesson:

Your voice deserves to be heard in this world.
ALL of you matters.

With love and one more pigeon,
Naomi ❤️

PS We named her Osi- short for Osindile- it's Zulu for "Survivor".

Osi had her first vet appointment today. She is being treated for a few nasty infections and is seriously underweight, but I am confident within a week or two she'll be good to join my boy's other two pigeons in their loft. 🫶🏽

100%❤️

I hear it from parents so often…
Even when children have the most significant academic challenges…

“They struggled so much under *this educator*… but in *this educator’s* class, they thrived…”

There’s a really good reason for this- one that makes complete sense, especially when we understand the magnificent design of the developing human brain.

Heart-led Educators:

They know that the only doorway to open the mind of a child is through their heart.

You’ll only ever see a child’s full potential and be able to unlock their genius (which exists so uniquely inside each one of them) when they trust you enough to open their hearts…

Everything about Heart-led Education centers around safety and relationship FIRST.

When this is the starting point, the brain is far more open to receiving all the other information that it needs to learn.

This is how we as human beings were wired to bloom…
Within the magic of deeply connected relationships…

With love and so much belief in the power of Heart-led Education,
Naomi ♥️

PS. Shout out to ALL the Heart-led educators who are changing lives daily
through their unwavering belief in all that really matters. 🫶🏽

So incredibly true❤️

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 🫶🏽

A few nights ago I was chatting to a man who has late teen and adult children. He said he had noted something very interesting when he asked them the question,
“What are some of your most memorable childhood experiences?”

They didn’t give any answers he had expected. They didn’t say the big holidays or the grand events.

In fact, the most memorable childhood events for them, the ones they held closest to their hearts, were experiences that for him, would have seemed completely insignificant…

The random ‘in-between’ times they’d laughed together, played together, connected in simple ways…

His words reminded me immediately of exactly what I had written in one of the chapters of 🌀 BOUNCE…

‘Too often it's the things that we don't recognise that are the most important to our children, not the big things. Those small, seemingly irrelevant things we say and do can have the biggest impact...

Our children perceive magic in what may for us seem arbitrary. What's important is how we view those seemingly arbitrary moments and how we connect to our children in them. THAT's what makes their world special.

When your little one is showing you snail shells, pay attention.

When your child is telling you about something their friend did on the playground, put down what you are doing and listen.

When your teen is fuming and cannot contain their frustration with the perceived unfair decision of a sports coach, empathise.

Read that extra bedtime story.
Cook their favourite meal just because.

Those are the things that matter.
Those are the things that ensure that they feel valued and worthwhile and rooted in belonging.

It's the smallest things that we pay attention to that have the biggest potential for connection with our children.’

With love and little things,
Naomi ♥️

🌀BOUNCE: How to Raise Resilient Kids and Teens- Available everywhere that sells books and online.

PS. Almost daily I receive SO much incredible feedback from those of you who have read 🌀BOUNCE. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate knowing the impact that this book has had on so many of you and your relationships with your children. Thank you. 🫶🏽 📚

Connection❤️

Last night I brushed my ten-year-old’s teeth.

He asked me to. I did.

Because he wasn’t actually asking for me to brush his teeth. He was asking for a moment of connection that, for whatever reason, he needed at that exact time.

Cleaning teeth, putting on socks, tying shoelaces, making beds, brushing hair- whatever the request may be, remember this:

When your child asks you to do something for them that you know they are perfectly capable of doing themselves, try not to get frustrated. They’re not being lazy, they haven’t suddenly “forgotten how”, and you’re not ‘babying’ them if you help them to do it.

In that moment that you want to shout out “You’re perfectly capable of doing this yourself! You did it yesterday! And the day before! And the day before!”-pause, breathe, reframe…

“Can you help me?” really means, “Can you take a moment to connect with me? Connection with you keeps me feeling safe and regulated.”

As with every human behaviour, reframing makes ALL the difference.

With love and a fresh perspective
Naomi ♥️🕶️

Ps. Thank you for all the amazing feedback so far on my book 🌀BOUNCE. Please keep sending it. I am truly humbled. Truly grateful. Available at all major bookstores and online. 📚

Beautiful new designs & colours of our Baby Donuts just released. Pretty pinks for girls💕

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