Schools out for summer!! (Is anyone reading this old enough to remember that Alice Cooper song?) While I was working in the schools, I'd walk home that last day in June singing this song on repeat!
With the summer holidays approaching, I know that many parents struggle to find activities they can engage in with their children. There are many summer options for children, including camps, outdoor activities, sports, etc. But, what about activities that we can do with our children together? Activities that help us connect with our child and initiate building self-esteem and self-awareness? I think it’s important that we partake in activities that support their mental and emotional well-being together as a family.
I’m sure many of you think these activities won’t interest your kids or they'll find them boring. I assure you that this is not the case. Not only do kids enjoy these exercises, but it also helps prepare them better to thrive in today’s world. Kids enjoy them so much because they get to spend time with their parents, and this provides the opportunity for them to be heard. All our kids ever want is love and someone who will consciously listen.
One activity that kids enjoy is going for a walk with their caregivers. We must put our phones away, concentrate on the beauty surrounding us, and avoid being consumed with our thoughts. This lends the opportunity to be present through mindfulness. Begin by focusing on the five senses. Listen together, intently to the birds singing, the water tumbling over a stone, or the sound of the wind. Pay close attention to the beads of dew on the grass, the texture of bark on a tree, and the shape or pattern of veins on leaves. Watch the birds or squirrels in the trees; animals are a great way to reconnect us with nature. Use your sense of touch - we can touch the grass, feel the soft silk of flower petals, and run our palms over tree bark. The opportunities to practice mindfulness in nature are endless. Practicing mindfulness together is a great way to connect and often leads to discussions about what may be troubling them.
Another great activity to do together is practicing affirmations and turning it into an art project! Buy a journal or recipe cards, sit together, write out affirmations, and then decorate the card. Affirmations are a strategy to stop negative thoughts and shift the focus onto our positive attributes. I’ve seen many kids' and adults’ self-esteem soar with the regular use of affirmations. I recommend keeping the cards or journal beside their bed. They can say them at night before they go to bed and in the morning. Some examples of affirmations are:
I am safe
I believe in myself
I am enough
I am brave
I have courage and confidence
I love and approve of myself
Please make sure you recite them together; it can be so much fun! Kids emulate our behavior- if they see us speaking positive words, they will follow!
One of the greatest gifts we can give both kids, and ourselves, is gratitude. Gratitude instantly changes our energy. It can take us from a place of worry or fear to a peaceful, safe feeling. We can bring gratitude into children’s daily lives in many ways. We can go around the dinner table and say what we were thankful for from the day. Make it part of your child’s bedtime routine. A wonderful family activity is decorating gratitude journals. Write in it daily, and once a month, have each member read out some of the things they were grateful for that month.
Practicing meditation together is crucial for our overall health. There are many ways we can do this. We can sit together on the floor and breathe. Focusing on our breath as it goes in and out. You can have soft, relaxing music playing in the background. Depending on the child's age, this may be anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes long. We can do this anytime throughout the day when we feel that we need a mental break. Playing a guided meditation before bed is so beneficial. It allows us to release the day's fears and worries and transition into a peaceful night’s sleep. I have free guided meditations on my website, and many more are available on YouTube.
All of the strategies I talked about today were just briefly touched on. My book, Empowering our Future, goes into much more detail. It includes a variety of exercises, worksheets, meditations, and strategies to help our kids improve self-esteem and self-awareness and form better connections. If we implement these tools into our children’s daily lives, they will be better equipped to manage their challenges; whether that's building relationships or coping with worry, fear, stress, or anxiety. It’s about providing them with the tools to enhance mental and emotional well-being, which builds resilient youth!
If you are interested in purchasing my book, click on the link below!
Until next time…Summer here we come!!