How Did We Get Here & Where Are We Going?
By Wee Seeds Founder, Christina
One of my lasting memories was hearing my son screaming as he left the hospital wing, his cries carrying back down the corridor to where I lay.
I was on the ward after being diagnosed with Type One diabetes. I’d been admitted and speedily hooked up to various drips, including insulin: the drug I would now have to self-administer for the rest of my life.
After two days, and some scary information sessions with the nurses, who showed me how to test my blood sugars, and self-inject insulin, I was sent home to start my new life as Type One diabetic.
I struggled mentally, physically and emotionally with this life-changing diagnosis, and, realising I had to help myself, I downloaded a meditation app I’d spotted. Within a month I could feel a real positive difference in my mental well-being.
It became clear that my hospital admission and diagnosis had left Fin, our son, who was two and a half at the time, disrupted. Obviously, he hadn’t wanted to leave me in the hospital, but in the months that followed he started asking if I was going to die or be taken to hospital again.
I realised I had to do something to help him too but when I looked for a way to teach him the things I was learning through my meditation and mindfulness app there was nothing for his age-group. So I started thinking up fun ways to self-teach him breathing and mindfulness — and it helped. As well as helping him through my diagnosis, it’s helped him in other challenging situations, like starting school, arguments with friends, and most recently a traumatic arm break!
It was from this that the idea for Wee Seeds was born.
Early on, I knew I wanted to help parents support their kids, like I’d supported mine. Now we’re pretty clear, after a year of listening to parents and professionals, and the impact of Covid-19 that mental health starts early. We’re here to help young kids develop strong, healthy calm minds through positive daily mindfulness activities and to help parents nurture positive mental health behaviours in the present moment and for their futures.
We do this though our early years wellbeing toolbox — accessible through our specially designed website — that not only helps parents teach their children mindfulness and life-long wellbeing skills, but also connects families. These tools can also be used by preschools, nurseries, and early primary school staff, as well as other educational, day care, or childcare facilities.
The past year has been a rollercoaster, as we have learned, iterated, been on the rollercoaster of funding applications and refusals. We have put in many, many hours of voluntary time and watched as this little seed of an idea has continued to grow. We are grateful to everyone for their support!
We have no doubt supporting children is the future — and that’s why we back the World Mental Health Federation’s call for greater investment in mental health as part of World Mental Health Day 2020 to ensure access for all. We believe this is particularly important in the early years.
We have exciting plans as our contribution to this! Throughout October we’ll be looking back at what’s happened in our first year and sharing our plans for the future. To follow our news, sign up to our newsletter. And for subscribers to our early years’ mindfulness toolbox we’re excited to tell you that there’s new mindfulness content coming your way at the end of the month. To sign up visit https://bit.ly/weeseedssignup.
You can find us on Instagram (@weeseedsmeditations), our Facebook (Wee Seeds) and our Twitter (@WeeSeeds), or email us at weeseedsmeditations@gmail.com 🙏
More soon!
❤ Love, Christina & the Wee Seeds Team
