leisure

THE HAPPINESS PROJECT

May 14, 2011 By Martine 17 Comments

Could you do with the occasional reminder of all the great things that you have in life? Are there times when it seems that nothing is going right and that everything is against you? Or is it simply the case that there is nothing new, motivating or exciting going on? Or…..are you like me and always liked the idea of keeping a journal or a record of whats going on in your life but never get around to it!…..Either way you should try the Happiness Project!

Last month, Naomi from Seven cherubs , (yes…that means she has 7 kids!) put out the challenge to her readers and fellow bloggers to write just one sentence everyday about something in your day that made you happy or something that you are grateful for. This I could mange……just one sentence! And better still, it was also something that my children could manage as well (the ones that can write) and thus we all set out on our Happiness Project. It didn’t have to be a huge event or occasion that makes you happy, but could be something as trivial as having a great cup of tea or a day without rain! [Read more...]

Filed Under: More Joy Less Stress Tagged With: happiness, holidays, leisure, Parenting, relaxation

Embrace the Boredom – Teaching Our Kids How To Fill the Void

April 27, 2011 By Martine 10 Comments

“Mum…I’m bored….there’s nothing to do…..”

As the holidays come to a close I am sure this is not an altogether unfamiliar phrase to be heard from the mouths of our modern youth.

What do you do in that situation? Do you run around trying to organise play dates, visits to the movies, purchase a new Wii game ? All great fun things to be sure, but rather than fill in every conceivable minute with activities, maybe it is time we let out kids embrace ‘the art of being bored’.

No, not really an art, but nonetheless a skill at least that our children are often not given the chance to perfect. So why is it important, this idea of being bored, this need to unwind and to simply chill out?

The school term brings with it a life that is structured, full of extra curricula activities, after-school sports, training sessions and around the clock appointments that leave little time for anything but the essentials. Even our toddlers and pre-schoolers are kept entertained with playgroups, kindergyms, art and music classes. There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these commitments, in fact they can be great for skills development and emotional and social growth and awareness. But like most things, we need to ensure that our children have a balance of this structure with down time, time to relax and time to unwind. They also need to be able to entertain themselves when the structure of term finishes and they are faced with a few extra hours of “free time”. To help our children fill the void themselves, be happy with their own company and relish in the ‘downtime’, we need to start early in their childhood and ensure that we don’t always need to be the ones to entertain and provide the activities. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Modern Parenting Tagged With: advice, Boredom, holidays, leisure, relaxation, teaching

Rituals, Holidays and Family Traditions

April 21, 2011 By Martine 5 Comments

Rituals ,holidays and family traditions are what help make our families unique. These are the events that happen pretty much no matter what. They are the moments we can rely on, the occasions we can rejoice in and the times that help keep everything stable and predictable.

Rituals can be daily or weekly happenings such as saying ‘I love you’ each night before bed, reading a bedtime story, having a Sunday roast together, pizza on Friday nights or going to the footy each week. They can also be annual events such as holidays, celebrations or regular ways to commemorate occasions like birthdays, Easter, Christmas or summer holidays.

Growing up I was so privileged to have many rituals and family traditions that are certainly my strongest memories of childhood. They are the times I felt secure, surrounded by people that loved and cared for me, but also the times that made life predictable yet still exciting. When I think about the childhood I am helping to create for my boys, I know also that many of their greatest memories will be of the family rituals and traditions that we have both consciously and sub-consciously created. Creating wonderful childhood memories can also be particularly helpful during challenging times or times of grief. [Read more...]