Rest well — #ThursdayThought
By Christina, Wee Seeds Founder
My wee seed Fin, whose struggles with my Type 1 diabetes diagnosis kickstarted Wee Seeds into life started back school last week — and now we’re all tired!! He’s also not been sleeping so great, after the relaxed routines of lockdown! Neither have we. If getting to bed early has been TOUGH, then getting out of bed has been TOUGHER!
How are you all feeling? Are your settling back down into a routine, or struggling too?
To help us, we’ve been *trying* to re-establish a solid bedtime routine, and also ensure enough rest time throughout the day. Rest is very under-rated in my book. It’s something I’ve never been very good at — until I discovered meditation. We spend so much time racing around, and kids playing, that we just forget to rest. Then we DEMAND our bodies stop and sleep. It’s kinda like trying to stop a speeding Porsche, rather than slow a 10mph tractor to a halt!
So, here’s three simple family tweaks to try this weekend to try to bring more rest into your day and night...
1. Help your kids rest in the day time. So, this does means no devices. Instead find something that quietens them and provides them with an off-switch for a while and immerses them in FLOW. You’ll know what your child likes, but for example, building with blocks, colouring, watching the clouds, reading with them, drawing, painting. Whatever you know makes your child happy and still — and make some time to rest in that space with them! Even if it’s for just five minutes. Try to notice and do this before they become over-tired — we all know how that works out!
2. Slow down the bedtime routine and leave enough space for some quiet time before sleep. So, try to think of the act of getting ready for bed as a process to helping sleep. Slow everything down and keep things low-key, for example, play some quiet music, or speak more gently. Think about when they get to bed, what would help them rest? A song, some breathing exercises, or reading to them? One trick we use is to remember his day with him, all through until the moment he “lands” in bed. Helping them “arrive” to a place of rest, will hopefully mean their trundling tractor will be going slowly enough to stop.
3. Remember to rest yourself! We’re all going through a tough time just now, so don’t forget to stop and rest yourself. Meditate, run, read, stretch, knit — do whatever works for you. As well as helping yourself, you’ll also be setting a very good example!
Rest well.
❤ Love, Christina & the Wee Seeds Team
