Good morning, parents…
How are you feeling today? (I’m really asking.)
We want to invite you to take a really deep breath.
Close your eyes. Settle your seat.
And breathe in through your nose, all the way to the belly.
Feel the air through your nose, your trachea.
Feel it fill your lungs, all the way to your belly. And exhale slowly.
It is safe for you to feel all of your emotions.
I have an inbox full of links upon links (literally hundreds) of educational websites to keep all of you going with your children, to help you fill your days. As I sort through them and work with our teachers to streamline the most relevant for you, the ones focused on PLAY for young learners, we want to first tell you that we are dedicated to the brain, body and spirit of learning not only in our children, but in our parent community as well.
This morning is about your spirit; your care.
Are you taking care of yourself, parents? What does that mean? Self-care is such a buzz word that has the connotation of hair cuts and massages and facials. And while this is true, there are so many other ways to care for your heart right now that you can do right at home. If you do not have a practice already, if you are the dad who goes to work and comes home and does the dishes instantly; or the mom who drives her kids to practice and recitals and games. If you are the parent who is used to putting your children, your career, your family and your spouse before yourself, these questions are for you:
What brings you joy?
What makes your heart burst?
What small moment in the day do you find peace?
What moments of the day are the hardest for you?
What triggers your anger?
What activities do you do for yourself already?
What activities do you want to do more of?
What activities do you wish to do less of?
Sit with these questions. Ruminate. Let them flip in your mind for some time. Because here is the truth: you deserve to take care of yourself.
I can hear your resistance. “But they need me…” “I have to take care of everyone…” “Who is going to do everything?”
Resistance is normal and typically we parents tend to be people pleasers. So I am going to say it again: you deserve to take care of yourself. In fact, by making sure you have taken care of your emotional well-being, your heart will open more to those around you.
Fill your cup up so it can overflow.
Has new resistance arisen? Something like “I don’t have time…” “I’m with them all day now, every day…”
Here is our gentle challenge to you when building your routine: the first thing to add in is 30-40 minutes of alone time a day for yourself to do something that brings you joy. Below is a long list of activities to start, and we encourage you to think for yourself too. Let yourself be a beginner if need be. You don’t have to know how to write poetry to pick up a pen and write words that float into your mind. You can be a slow runner. Allow yourself grace.
And I can still hear: “I don’t have time…”
Use your resources. Speak with your partner about splitting time to prioritize it for both of you. Use PBSKids propped on the iPad and lock your door if you are alone with kids. Break it up into 10 minute increments throughout the day. Wake up before the kids. Do this after bedtime.
Do it for 3 days and come back to us, let us know how it’s going, how it feels to make a little space for yourself.
May you make the space.
Heart-Filling Activities
Journaling
Painting
Praying with Pens
Meditating
Woodworking
Listening to Podcast
Reading a Book
Devotionals
Reading the Bible
Body Movement
Walks
Hikes
Breathwork
Poetry
Coloring
Learning Something New
Cooking Nourishing Food for Yourself
Being Still
*Social media and TV are not heart-fillers. They have a time and place in your day as well, but that is not what this post is referencing.
