Oh wow, we are already more than halfway through the year. Gets me everytime.
I catch myself eyeing off the rain clouds or curling up in front of the heater, next thing I will blink and it will be Christmas time. The chaos of Winter holidays and swinging right back into the school routine, you might feel like it is sink or swim with your calendar and checklist. 🌊🏊🏼♀️
I love to take this time to slow down and check in with myself. In between packing lunches and being an underpaid chauffeur- this might feel really hard, I totally get it.
To help you find that calm a little easier, I am going to share some big lessons I have learnt from my little ones 🧘 Some days a hangry tantrum and before school meltdowns can be overwhelming. Mums will know what I mean when I say that despite the madness, it is all worth it. Especially with how much my kids mean to Swoodi. So this is a love letter of sorts, to my kids, and also for you to receive and share. 💌
Hopefully these lessons make you laugh, smile or feel a little less crazy as a parent, cause you’re definitely doing your best. Okay, here we go!
A Calm Home Makes for Calm Kids 🌿
Our kids are prone to taking on the energy and stress that surrounds
them. Raised voices, snappy conversations or slammed doors can feel so loud when you are little. I don’t Mum-shame anyone who has a moment or outburst, it happens to all of us. I always remember for me that you can’t fight fire with fire. Practice deep breathing, make the home nice for everyone to unwind in, you got this.
Play More, Worry Less and Make Spontaneity Your Friend. 💥
If you have ever gone for a walk with a toddler, you know that the simple process of one foot in front of the other turns into A Big Adventure. Everything is awesome and wonderful because it is still a novelty. Stopping to smell the flowers? Pat the dogs? Going on the swings? Stop worrying that you need to be doing other things, just be here.
Patience. This One Can be a Tough Pill to Swallow. 😇
Your appointment is in 5 minutes. You’ve changed their outfit 3 times
because it ‘just doesn’t feel right’. There is porridge everywhere. The dog is barking. Not a good start to the day.
I get it! I have been there more times than I can count and I think the main lesson is that the only thing you can control sometimes is your energy and your attitude. Having patience in moments of chaos might just be the only thing that will turn this messy morning around!
Ticking Time and Becoming a Better Version of You 🧘♀️
Before I had Max, Havanna and Tom I would get caught up in all the wrong things. It was trying to keep up with expectations, friends or a lifestyle I thought I was meant to be living. My kids have taught me how important it is to value time over material possessions and keep showing up for others. I would love to think I have become a better person because I think much more about what I can give, rather than what I can get.
