Parenting Without Punishment Vol IV
Your weekly resource for raising highly sensitive children
Vol. 4 | The Holiday Edition
Ready for this week?!
THE HOLIDAY EDITION
Let's dive in!
Resource Review
You know what I think we all need right about now? To remember to breathe.
The book, "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" is a quick read (or a quick listen - I do 1.25 speed). But if you want to save some time and just get my main takeaways, check that out here!
(If you have the time, even to listen while you load the dishwasher, I highly recommend this book for every human)
Try it out!
Take. a. breath.
Next time you feel like you're literally losing your marbles, take a BREATH. That's it. Then feel free to yell, scream, cry, lose it, do whatever you were going to do if that still needs to be done.
But first, just take a breath. A full inhale. A full exhale. And ya know what? Just for fun - feel free to repeat. But even if it's just ONE BREATH - does it make a difference?
And if you're thinking, that's it?! That's the activity? Yes. I gotta tell you, after all the things on your plate the past couple of week, I literally cannot think of a better activity. And if you read the book or read my review, you'll see why!
Moon about it
The new moon is December 30th.
Ok, this time of year is alllllllll about intentions and resolutions, right? And if you're rolling your eyes at all of it, I'm right there with you.
The resolution thing used to really bug me (because, ya know, society's diet culture and product-driven perfectionism is real...) but guess what - I'm leaning into it this year. Because... well... because I was the one suffering from avoiding it, actually.
We can choose what kind of intention to set. So while I'm not making a New Year's resolution to lose weight (because let's leave that in the 90's) I am setting intentions to be a better version of myself.
Actually, forget better. A more REAL version of myself.
Guided meditation
The book of the week is Breath; the activity is to breathe; a breathing meditation would be helpful, right? Because while breathing sounds simple, we all forget to do it... a lot...
So - 5 breaths to a new you - share with your kids or try it for yourself!
Yours in inhales and exhales and all the in betweens,
Heather DiNino
Founding Director, Elements Academy
P.S. I know all this Parenting Without Punishment stuff sounds easier in theory than it is in reality. TRUST ME. I get it.
So for the next week I will answer any question you have. Yes, any question. Bring it on!
Send in this anonymous form with a question about parenting or education within the next week (Monday 12/30 - Sunday 1/5) and I'll answer it! That simple!
You can ask anonymously (I'll compile all questions and answers and share in next week's newsletter) or you can put your email if you want a personalized response.
**This is 100% confidential - even if you share your email so I can respond, I will NOT share your name or any identifying information - EVER.
P.P.S. In case you need a question starter to get you going, most parenting questions start like this:
What would you do when....
My 5 year old did this ... is that age appropriate?
I did the thing I said I wouldn't do (yelled, screamed, time out, threat, bribe, etc.), and I'm upset. What should I have done instead?
I heard kids are supposed to .... is that true?
I'm here for you - in theory AND in practice - ASK AWAY!
(And this hopefully goes without saying, but there is NO STUPID QUESTION!)