It is important to be happy right? Absolutely! But it is unrealistic to be this way all of them time as life loves to throw a lot at us, good and bad. In light of Children’s Mental Health Week, we wanted to share our happiness toolbox to offer coping mechanisms for when the rough stuff comes our way, as well as to help bring in some joy into your life.

With the holiday season upon us, we are embracing the theme of resilience and giving yourself a break. When times get tough, one mindful method you can try to bring yourself some peace, is to give yourself a time-out!

Our kids’ earliest experiences play an essential part in the construction of their brain architecture. It is at this stage that the foundation for lifelong physical and mental health is laid down. But what about the architecture of the parents’ brains? Can we still make structural changes or do some rewiring for our own wellbeing?

When the kids don't want to brush their teeth before bed and we are tired and ready for me time, the easiest solution often seems to raise our voice and loose our cool. Or is it?

How about we first press our internal pause button and introduce some mindfulness into our interaction with the kids? It can really help us enjoy family time more by learning to respond to each other in a calmer more rational manner.

Recently, we’ve been hearing a lot from other parents on “comparison,” and how it can be so easy to fall into the trap of comparing your life to others. We want to help offer advice for breaking this cycle of thought and shift your brain to kinder, more positive ways of thinking. Thank you Karin for sharing your thoughts with all of us, and we hope you enjoy!

“Hello, is this your magical garden?” The story and the pictures are just adorable as you follow Ommie on her adventure encountering animals in the magical garden, and made it a lot of fun for Axel to do the poses along with the pages. He really loves cats, so got a big tickle out of seeing Cat Pose.

When you feel the need for something to calm your child’s (or your own!) body and mind, then trying these few poses, or even just one, can help you to relax and unwind. They are also a great way to calm your children in certain times of the day, such as bedtime, when a gentle way to lower their levels of physical and emotional arousal is greatly beneficial.