Throughout my years as a school counselor and then as a mama to my Wonders, I have fallen into the lane of diving into, educating about, and training colleagues on how to work with kiddos who have experienced trauma. There has been so much current research and actual neuroscience that SHOULD change the way we do business with kids (and frankly, with adults as well). And since it hasn’t caught on as widespread as I would like, I try and do my part to influence who I can on the importance of this information.
With some new folks visiting my blog, I thought I would do some posts that will collate some of that information. Tik Tok episode 1: Whatever you are, be consistent (ie, “predictable”)!
And if you’re more of a book reader versus a Tik Tok watcher…here are my top 3 suggestions!
All books (and more) linked in my Amazon storefront! Stay tuned for more information regarding this topic….and if you’re here for cute pics of my kiddos and cats, then check back later!!
Throughout the past two years, as my family and I have been struggling through some ruptures and bouts with depression, I have come to rely on savoring small moments of joy or activities that give me a quick boost in the middle of days (or nights when I’m laying awake)! And per usual, if there’s not a pic or a blog post, did they even really exist in the first place?
Teacher Style Box I found this subscription clothing service through instagram and stalked their page for a good long while before committing. And I have loved MOST of the clothes that have come my way….here’s how it works: you pick the pieces you want to be saved in your closet. They send you two pieces a time. You wear (or purchase to keep) and then send back for cleaning.
Rented pants. New boots from Christmas. Rainbow tee shirt? It was a good outfit day.Bag and label ready to go!Banana republic slacks. Cute top.
Using this service has really kept me invested in choosing fun outfits for work. PLUS, I don’t have official statistics on this – but it has actually made me do less online shopping and browsing because I’m excited to pair things already in my closet with my TSB pieces. AND if I want to try something trendy but not sure if it will be a good fit for my body, I can always order it from this service and just send it back after trying! Check it out here if you’re interested ($10 off your first month!).
Blog book Each January, I get excited to print my blog posts into physical print. Although no one around here ever looks at them, I dream of future generations pawing through them and gasping at outfits/hair and reading some thoughts of their (great, great) grandmother living during this crazy time. I switched to a new company just to try a different format and I fell in love – now I have to fight off the urge to get all of my old books printed just like these ones. We’ll see how long I can hold off.
Beautiful cover.Monthly title pages.
The pages are thick and beautiful. The text and photos are laid out in magazine style which I love. Plus, at the beginning of each book, they take all of your photos and make a double page collage layout – my favorite part of the whole thing!!!
My little scrapbooker’s heart is so happy looking at this!
Writing for me has always been therapeutic….and now putting that writing into this blog and then printing into books feels beautifully creative – just like scrapbooking did. But all of it really is summed up in a love for STORYTELLING. Living my life, capturing photos and words, and fitting them back together is the purpose of this blog and I’m happy you’re here to share the journey with me.
Tik Tok If you’ve been around me at all in the last two five months, you know I am always humming Tik Tok songs and have been creating ridiculous videos just really because they make me laugh. Then I promised a student that if she met a few goals we set together, I’d make a TT with her. And then she did. And then we did. And then that video ended up getting over 90,000 views in a matter of days!!! Isn’t that madness?
Haha…..I’m not really sure how videos do on here but I’ll try and post it so you can peek at this viral masterpiece.
Isn’t it the cutest?!?! Also, yes she’s a 4th grader. Yes, she’s very tall. Yes, I’ve already recruited her for volleyball. The end.
Stay tuned for probably more Tik Tok fun….I try to pretend like it’s not a big deal but I’m obsessed.
Last night I presented to a group of 60 or so parents and educators on supporting small children through the highs and lows of our world right now….they had great questions and affirmed that yes, parenting right now is extra crazy, extra hard, and extra exhausting.
I believe in my core that most, if not all parents humans are struggling right now to stay afloat in this pace and demands of life (pace pre-Covid, demands during Covid/racial reckoning/politics, etc.). So here is a little learning that I have discovered for my two kiddos with trauma that might help any of you work towards normalcy and calm during this pandemic.
Unpredictability, especially in brains with trauma, is the fastest trigger for a fear response, thus alerting our fight or flight to jump into action! Routines and rituals can help calm this limbic system part of our brain that is constantly scanning for threats or safety (ahem, the coughing next aisle over in the grocery store that you never paid attention to before)….with outside practices, social engagements, sometimes school and activities shut down – how can we set up routines and rituals within our home that ground ourselves and our children into a flow state?
Here are a few ideas that we have tried…
One of my fave places for our Take-Out Tuesday routine (trying to support local restaurants each week during the shut-down) – Skai Sushi!
If you have kiddos that already have BIG feelings and reactions, I’m sure throwing this pandemic into the mix hasn’t been the easiest transition. I did a post about this here if you’d like to read more tried and true strategies from my work as a school counselor.
While I think about this work, I am reminded that this time at home has been a time for me and my hubby to commit to intentional healing with our kiddos….we have the time to set new routines in motion, fix old negative habits, restore past hurts and for that, I am grateful.
The routines and rituals aspect has helped my energy level and patience through this hard time as it also gives me something to look forward to with my family….and the repeating each week just feels stable, calm, and safe in a way that I can’t describe.
What routines and rituals have you implemented since quarantine?? I’d love to hear more ideas!!!
