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

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

The Benefits of Family Yoga - Part #2

A few months back I posted about some of the many benefits of Family Yoga.  The list continues, so read on to learn more about how Family Yoga is good for you and your brood!   

 6. Family Yoga shows children that parents are not perfect.  Up to a certain age, children believe their parents are super-human!  They seem to never run out of time, money or resources, and this can create high expectations for parents to fulfill.  There are always poses a parent finds difficult and those a child find's difficult.  This reality check brings a humanizing quality to the parents, releasing them of expectations from the child. 

7.  Family Yoga teaches families how to relax together.  Most parents want their children to learn ways to relax and be more at peace!  What a better way to learn these skills then doing it as a family!  Yoga is wonderful for discharging energy and also engaging the rest and digest response, releasing those loving, calming hormones. 

8.  Family Yoga provides an opportunity for positive feedback among family members.  Since every person and every body can do yoga, there are always opportunities for encouragement in family yoga class!  We always encourage positive feedback for each family member in class, no matter what shape a body holds.  Yoga is about holding space for a wide breadth of experiences, from the tiniest yogi to the most experienced.

9.  Family Yoga inspires creativity as a family.  When we play yoga, we exchange roles and role-play a lot, and this contributes to increased creativity among family members.  We like to mix it up and take a dune buggy ride across the Sahara right after baking a pizza in Tuscany!  Often, this creativity translates over into moments outside of class!

10.  Family Yoga creates a sense of connection.  Each family yoga class doesn't just consist of poses alone.  Yoga is about creating wholistic community, so wether we like it or not we are sharing ourselves emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and more when we share a family yoga class.  We share this within our own family and with the families in class with us!  This happens verbally through our class introductions, and physically as we touch others in group poses, and in our ending relaxation.  In class we learn from others and garner a sense of connection to life, truly knowing that we are all connected and going through life together.  This is in large part the essence of family yoga.

I look forward to sharing all these benefits of family yoga and more as we participate in class together!  If you can think of any other benefits of Family Yoga, please share, I'd love to hear them!

For the Love of our Families,

Megan

Pose of the Season: Autumn

Plow Pose (Halasana)

Kids love plow pose!  This pose can be done solo, with a partner or even as a family!  There are many benefits to plow pose, including improved digestion, relaxation of the nervous system, fatigue relief, and stretching of the shoulders and spine.  This pose also calms anxiety and reduces irritability in our youngsters!  And parents, all these benefits apply to you too.  :)

So on your trip to the farm this fall to harvest apples or pumpkins, take a break and lay in the dirt as a plow!

Solo Pose: Roll onto your back and let your feet and legs come up over your body as far as they'd like.  You can use you arms and hands along your mat to support you.

Partner Pose: As you can see above, your friend/family member can hold your ankles in this pose.  Take a deep breath in and relax all your muscles so your partner holds all your weight.  Have your partner slowly slowly let your spine uncurl, releasing your feet back down to the mat.  This is a great pose to do before bedtime, it's very relaxing!

Family pose variation: One family member is in plow pose, the second person sits with their low back to the plow's rear with legs out straight.  A third family member sits high on the lap of the second family member, facing them.  The third person holds the wrists of the first person (in plow) and uses their arms to drive the plow!  Vroom vroom!

Happy Autumn, 

Megan