Today I'm excited because hugs are making a comeback.
As masks fade away, it feels like hugs are all the rage. That's a funny expression, really, all the rage; the online dictionary says it replaces an angry passion with an enthusiastic one. In any event, I'm savoring the hold-on hugs that I've been getting as I'm out and about. We even saw this tree hugger on a walk in Wimberley this weekend; isn't nature incredible?
It was after that walk when our son was enjoying a berry mocktail at breakfast. When I asked why he liked it so much, he replied that it just
tastes like childhood. And that reflection has me thinking:
What tastes like childhood to me?
Milking cows and doing our chores.
Games like Hide and Seek, Tag, and Capture The Flag.
Going to a friend's pond for a summertime swim.
Fancy wedding dinners and a dance.
Family gatherings for Confirmation.
Friday night perch plate from the local tavern.
Saturday night baths during the Lawrence Welk show.
Being a 4-H member and exhibiting at the County Fair.
Riding my horses and caring for my rabbits.
Shopping for new school clothes and supplies.
Going to church on Wednesday nights during Lent.
Huge family reunions at the Park every summer.
Christmas morning with my Mom's parents.
Cross-country trips in the camper.
Mealtime around the table.
Learning how to self-regulate and make friends.
Life as a farmer's daughter was always an adventure,
the perfect segue into today's book recommendation.
In this picture book, reminiscent of an old-fashioned comic book and a current-day graphic novel, a young Joseph is having a blast watching his favorite tv show when his mom lets him know that it's time to get ready for bed. Joseph's world goes from calm to chaotic as Mom tries to share her calm and co-regulate her little boy whose BIG feelings quickly went out of control. When he and his sidekick Gretchen blast off on an adventure, will they learn some skills to help them pull it all back together?
From the publisher:
In Mission: CONTROL! A Big Feelings Adventure, you’ll discover:
*Tools for addressing anger in a non-threatening and entertaining way
*How parents can model positive actions to assist your child in learning to manage problems
*A delightful story that shows effective methods for improving behavior
*A creative view of the flight-or-fight response to help understand juvenile thinking process
*An encouraging mindset for kids dealing with disappointment, and much, much more!
********************
I really connected with the simple, four-step process
to help our littles put that flipped lid back on:
Feel it. Be aware of what you're feeling.
Say it. Name it to claim it and tame it.
Solve it. Move? Use your words? Breathe?
Calm it. Ready to put that lid back on.
This newcomer will equip and empower our youngest learners
as they grow stronger through their big feelings and
master the art of emotional-regulation and self-control.
Reading this book was totally a taste of childhood
I wish I'd have had more of myself, one we truly tried to
give to our kids as we coached them through what to do
with those uncomfortable and challenging emotions.
Which things taste like childhood to you?
RASPBERRIES. My uncle had a huge raspberry patch and every summer when my family was visiting I would go through, whenever I wanted, and pick and eat raspberries. To this day, raspberries are my favorite fruit and with every bite I'm taken back to that raspberry patch and lazy summer days playing school and going to the pool with my sister and cousins in Plains, MT.
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