June 30, 2018

Quote of the Week

"When we treat children's play as seriously as it deserves, we are helping them feel the joy that's to be found in the creative spirit. It's the things we play with and the people who help us play that make a great difference in our lives." -- Fred Rogers

Thriving In The School Holidays With Children

School holidays are here for children in many parts of the world and parents find themselves spending far more hours each week with their kids than they usually have a chance to during the rest of the year :) On the one hand, this can lead to higher levels of stress or exhaustion, especially if you're constantly surrounded by tired and hungry kids who might be whining, complaining, demanding or bickering, leaving you little time and space for yourself or even simply to get your usual tasks done. On the other hand, the school holidays can be a rare opportunity to slow things down as a family and find joy in spending quality time with your children without being driven by the clock every minute, without demands of homework assignments and term-time activities and with a sense of spaciousness in our lives. This week, we've featured an article in which one mom highlights a few suggestions on how parents can thrive and not just survive during the school holidays together with our kids. [read article]

Reading Corner

Title: 10 Mindful Minutes: Giving Our Children--and Ourselves--the Social and Emotional Skills to Reduce Stress and Anxiety for Healthier, Happy Lives
By: Goldie Hawn and Wendy Holden
Stage: Any

Why?  "Goldie Hawn embodies delight and joy, and 10 Mindful Minutes radiates these. Her book can help any adult-parent, grandparent, teacher-make double use of their moments with the children they love and have a terrific time while helping shape that child's brain for a lifetime of resilience and happiness." -- Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

Be the Change

Set aside "unplanned" time as a family for a day during school holidays to offer yourselves the space to just be, go with the flow and be present to what is emerging in your hearts and minds as the day unfolds.