Holiday pleasures can be accompanied by holiday stresses.
When I need to research or be reminded of how to keep my cool and connect with those around me – particularly children – my go-to source is Dr. Laura Markham of Aha! Parenting. Dr. Markham’s site is a treasure trove of insights and practice tips for everyone – not just active parents.
Clearly, tensions can run high. One of the Facebook moms groups I participate in had a very long thread about yelling at your kids this morning. Some moms even said it was all right to yell at them in private.
Only it’s not all right. Yelling is never acceptable. What’s more, parents know that even when they’re acting out. Then a cycle of feeling bad follows.
As a parent who has fallen off the mindfulness truck more than once and engaged in yelling, I can attest to that.
As Dr. Markham observes:
Life is full of stresses that give us good reasons to worry. But the actions we take from that place of fear or anxiety are never helpful. They’re designed to alleviate our anxiety, not to address the situation constructively.
In her blog post Practical Mindfuless Tips to Shift Your Moods, Dr. Markham makes five points to walk us through those inevitable anxious moments.
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Use your “pause button”
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Observe what’s happening in your body
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Set up interior space to shift
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Change your mind
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Change your environment
Please do read the blog post here . You’ll find tools to use throughout the holidays and beyond.
When we’re in a cycle of anxiety that’s the result of stress, it’s impossible to connect to those we love. Holidays are a time for making memories that enrich the every day memories – a little like gold threads woven into the cloth of time spent together as a family.
For every day memories, and to help get your child to release the day with gratitude and transition to sleep, get the free Put the Day to Bed guided meditation. It comes with an illustrated booklet so you can read it together and truly connect.
Get the free Put the Day to Bed mindfulness meditation and illustrated booklet HERE.