Corona, Kids & Screens

So many parents I know feel like they’re drowning in screens right now, myself included. Maybe it feels like a never-ending battle, or perhaps you’ve completely relented in the face of this extraordinary time. I’m here to say that either way, no matter what’s going on, we will get through this.

How does a conscious parent navigate this sea of media and screen usage with small kids? My solution is to have an incredibly compassionate view, and still remember to pursue presence with your child.

At the onset of COVID-19, our kids (ages 5&3) went from having 30-60 minutes of screen-time a week to that per day. And now it’s more like 90 minutes a day on average, although we’ve been able to cut it down over the last few weeks. My philosophy on screens is that my kids are still incredibly young, and have their entire lives to immerse themselves in screens. During these early years, it’s my hope to instill in them a lack of dependence on screens and a greater dependence on the outdoors, and real life connection. This is rooted in many things, but a big part of it has to do with screens’ natural stress-induction, and nature’s natural stress-relief. In an incredibly over-stressful world, I want my kids to have a deep-ingrained antidote to the harming effects of stress. The best antidote out there, I believe, is connection to nature, which includes the outdoors and their own bodies.

While I strive and maintain pretty strict boundaries around screen-time in our home, the most important thing right now is that we let go of our screen-time shame. Shame for anything on behalf of anyone, parents or children should be forsaken. Glennon Doyle shared about this early on in the pandemic - during such a volatile time as this, we need to simply survive, get done some work, and end up smiling at the end of the day. If MANY hours of screen time for your family is what achieves this, let it be. No shame for it. It won’t be like this forever.

And if you’ve got the resources and ability to keep your screen time minimal, keep at it. Appleseed has a list of Approved screen programs coming your way that keeps our children grounded, supports our family values, and serves to teach them the things that matter! We can’t wait to share these with you.

I leave you with two indelible quotes:

“The world is obsessed with its children. Meanwhile the children want presence. They yearn for face-to-face presence.” - David Fitch.
A little screen time and a little presence, on repeat may be a great way to get through your days.

"Take a deep breath and affirm your intention to be fully present — here and now — at peace with What Is." - Scott Noelle.
Doing what you need to do to take care of yourself and remain present in your home will be the greatest gift you can give your kids - screen time included or not.

Peace and go easy on yourself,

Megan

“The Foot Rub.”

Back in early fall, a friend wrote to me saying she asked her son as she was putting him to sleep: “What was the favourite part of your day?” He responded: “The Foot Rub”.

If you didn’t know already, each and every class at Appleseed ends with foot massages complete with supportive and seasonal essential oil blends in an all-natural cream! These foot massages are always optional, but most of the time I turn around to a number of bare feet sticking out from under the yoga blanket, and even a few in the air, waving me over. “Me next?” the toddlers will say.

Kids love massage. They just do! There’s something about the loving touch and calming effect that just reels kids in. Touch is healing!

This is why I made an appointment for my 5 year old to have his first massage over at Me-Time Massage for Kids with Heidi Bigl, this past July. Heidi started her kids-only massage practice in October 2018 and offers massage therapy to kids from ages 4-17, in Toronto’s Upper Beaches neighbourhood. And if you’re wondering, Heidi indeed welcomes and encourages parents to stay right in the therapy room with their young child.

Heidi claims there are 4 main benefits to massage for kids:

1. Calm - Massage encourages your child’s mind and body to power down and gives it an opportunity to enter into a state of relaxation, leading to better sleep.

2. Replenish - Massage helps to ease your child’s stress and anxiety caused by things such as academic pressures, a busy schedule, or relationship strains with family or friends, thereby replenishing and restoring the body back to balance and peace.

3. Awareness - Massage helps to bring attention, awareness and connection to the body in a positive and healthy way and gives a child a foundation for self-care.

4. Comfort - Massage brings comfort to your child’s body by easing general aches and pains, growing pains, soreness from sports, or tension headaches.

So join us at Appleseed and enjoy a massage at the end of class, AND book in with Heidi! Your kids will thank you for both. Visit metimeforkids.com.

~Megan

Your Integrated Kid.

I have just come off a weekend intensive, and my world has been smashed open, again, as it often does at trainings like these. It usually starts with me walking into a room shaking with fear (why am I so nervous?) to lay out my mat with dozens of strangers. Then I practice integration with them, which, let me say, often feels just plain exposing. It's all of me, right there on my mat for everyone to see, exposed.

Since my first yoga class EVER in 2007, as a newly engaged young adult, at the Bayview & Sheppard YMCA, I have sought out this integration. Of course I didn't know what it was then, but I've stuck with this yoga-thing through all the ups and downs. And believe me, there have been ups and downs. Tears, anger, intolerance, swearing to myself that I must just walk away because it's too hard, and yet I have always known deep down that I must stay with and hold on to the integrity. Do what feels integral & strive for unity - every part of my body looked for it then and continues to look for it now. And another small piece of it was found this past weekend.

This journey of integration, or to make into a whole by bringing all parts together, is what Appleseed supports in this world. It's why I practice and it's why I deliver these teachings to your kids. It's the pursuit of finding integration, in all parts of our lives.

So if you're on this page, join me. Let's see what our kids can look like as integrated beings. And let's try our best to not let them lose that integration, as we throw them out into the world little by little. Because it's damn scary, this world of ours, and we ought to give them the greatest chance we possibly can of spreading the light we all know is there.

For the pursuit of integration,
Megan

How Yoga Can Help With Starting School

September is a tough time of year, no matter how you slice it.  Our hearts especially go out to those sweet families and children who are starting Kindergarten! It’s a new place, new people, and the beginning of a new part of life.  No matter the grade, your child’s wellbeing is incredibly important to you and you want this to be as positive of an experience as possible.  Every parent that sends their child to school goes through these September transitions, and they’re hard!  You’re not alone.

Yoga can help you and your child with all transitions, even starting school!  Notice how I said ‘you’ - as a parent our histories, beliefs, and way we move through life greatly affects our children.  In my experience of sending my oldest off to kindergarten, I realized that mostly i’m not ok - and my child is mostly just fine!

Ultimately it’s about creating a lifestyle of health for your family.  Practicing your own yoga and yoga with your child centres you both and will greatly help them in their growing years.  As I’ve said before, I wish I had yoga as a child!  

Here are a few ways yoga can help a child at any age start school:

1. Confidence - At Appleseed, your child is accepted and loved just as they are.  Their whole self is celebrated, including their differences!  Building on their poses and skills each week through games and fun stories creates a safe space for our kids to grow and build confidence.

2. Positive Self-Talk - Throughout class and especially during meditation and relaxation, children are led through inspiring imagery that focuses on all that’s beautiful, right and good in them.  These truths settle deep in their whole bodies and over time become part of their inner dialogue!  That’s the kind of thing I want my 4 year old to remember when he’s at school and misses me.

3. Deeper Connection - At our Toddler and Family Yoga classes, families stay together to strengthen and deepen our bonds with each other.  Touch, play, and resting together creates a sense of mutual trust between you and your child(ren).  Your child knows they are with you, has your attention, and is in a safe place. Quality time together will fill their reserves and assure them when you’re apart that you love them.

4.  A Positive Relationship with Rest - Yay for REST!  When our children are in school, they get TIRED.  Especially in the early years, during the after school hours they are starving and exhausted, which can make for a tricky bedtime (delaying the sleep they desperately need).  If they have established rest rituals and see rest as positive, this can greatly support their overall health and make the evenings more positive for everyone.

 All the best in your unique transition to school this September!

For the love and health of our families,  

Megan

4 Summer Herbal Remedies for Kids

It’s summer!  Which means two things: there’s an abundance of plant friends around and I’m constantly reaching for band-aids.  Ever wonder how we can use the green healers around us for our kids’ numerous summertime childhood ailments? Over at Little Tree Wellness, Appleseed’s friend Jazmine Stinson shares her favourite common herbs that help her family during their summer (or even year-round) woes:

Chamomile:  Chamomile is gentle and soothing, making it great for kids. It is used to treat many conditions including: aches and pains from the flu, common cold, teething, motion sickness, inflamed skin, anxiety, restlessness, loss of appetite and allergies. (Hoffmann, 2003). Favourite ways to use: hot/herbal tea, floral bath mix and hydrosols. 

Lavender: Lavender is acclaimed for its soothing and calming benefits. It can be effective in alleviating cramps, spasms, stress, anxiety, sleep troubles, pain and headaches. It is a mild antidepressant and helps to restore the nervous system (Hoffmann 1990, 2003) and balance the body (Romm, 2010). Favourite way to use: hot/iced tea, floral bath mix, herbal facial steam, aromatic herb pillow and house sprays. 

Calendula: Calendula (pictured) is brilliant for healing skin conditions that are inflamed, irritated and infected. It soothes and provides relief from dry skin and lips, diaper rash, eczema, wounds, bruising, cuts and minor burns (Hoffmann 2003). Internally, Calendula is helpful for treating upset stomachs, inflamed lymph nodes and gums, and has antibacterial properties! (Romm, 2010). Favourite way to use: herbal oil infusion, herbal bath mix, tincture and topical salves. 

Lemon Balm: Lemon Balm is a beautifully smelling and delicious mint family herb. It promotes calmness and helps uplift the spirit.  It is useful in combination for promoting sleep and relaxation, stress reduction, healing cold sores, easing tension headaches, reducing fever and easing tummy ache. Favourite way to use: herbal ice pops, fresh in salads, hot/iced tea. 

For more information about herbal medicine contact Jazmine Stinson, RH, CN at: jazmine@littletreewellness.com, or www.littletreewellness.com.  Follow Little Tree Wellness on Instagram @littletreewellness or Facebook @littletreewellnessandapothecary.