Hello,

Thanks for bearing with me while I took a bit of time for rest over the weekend. Sorry that you didn't get your usual newsletter from me.

Anyway, hope you had a good weekend.

Iris and I had such a fun half term and learned some cool new skills – read on for more… 

What we Got Up To During Half Term

Read Simplicity Parenting

I whizzed through Simplicity Parenting (the revised edition) by Kim John Payne last week (it was the second time I'd read it, but I found so much new gold). It was hard to put down. I've come away with pages of ideas to implement to create more ease in family life.

Here are some of my notes:

• Look for ways to increase the amount of rhythm in our lives – for example, light a candle at mealtimes, go out for a walk afterwards.

• Create a breakfast ritual with soothing music, and a tray of foods that Iris can easily prepare, and then set the table. Make it so that she can be responsible for this meal. Switch up our breakfast time foods to bread, olives, fruit and feta – things she loves.

• Take time to share our dreams over breakfast.

• Create a tray of activities and a snack for our very early riser, so that she can do something on her own while we get the sleep we need!

• Remember kids need around 11 hours of sleep.

• Create a rest and settling home period every day to ease the transition back indoors. When we get home have an activity that we always do to mark our homecoming (for example: watering plants, sitting down with a cup of tea and a story, laying the table for dinner, picking flowers for dinnertable).

• Allow time for Iris to sink into deep play every day.

• Consider a Sabbath – a morning or afternoon of rest and reconnection at home

• Remember that 'everyone in the family is distracted when one member is distracted'. Sort out my phone usage when I'm with Iris – create stronger boundaries for myself around when I can look at it. Resist the urge to pick it up as soon as I come downstairs in the morning.

We’re running a piece in the next edition, out in July, around Simplicity Parenting and how to get started. I'm excited to share with you next month!