{"id":1834,"date":"2017-05-23T03:58:18","date_gmt":"2017-05-23T03:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/?p=1834"},"modified":"2017-05-24T22:37:49","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T22:37:49","slug":"earthmama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/earthmama\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Mama – How Getting Outside Helps Almost Everything"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font_size=”16″]<\/p>\n

Parenting is no joke. \u00a0For most of us, it’s the hardest work we\u2019ll ever do.<\/p>\n

Alfie Kohn said it well\u2026 \u00a0You know that expression we use to emphasize that something is, relatively speaking, not too hard? \u00a0We say \u201cit\u2019s not rocket science!\u201d<\/p>\n

Kohn says we ought to change that expression to say instead, \u201cit\u2019s not parenting!\u201d<\/p>\n

But I don\u2019t want to dwell here on the difficulty. \u00a0I want to talk about what helps. \u00a0A true balm to nearly every parenting difficulty.<\/p>\n

The answer?<\/p>\n

Go outside!<\/p>\n

For maximum effectiveness, not just anywhere. \u00a0Somewhere with dirt and water, sticks and rocks. \u00a0Somewhere woodsy. \u00a0Touchable.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

When your child is fussy and you can’t identify the cause\u2026<\/p>\n

Go outside.<\/p>\n

When your four year old won’t stop provoking your two year old and you know you need to move them before someone gets hurt\u2026<\/p>\n

Go outside.<\/p>\n

When you’re running on empty because you just need some time to hear your own thoughts…<\/p>\n

Go outside.<\/p>\n

Easier said than done, maybe… \u00a0It’s not always easy getting everyone out the door in one piece! \u00a0But it does get easier with practice. \u00a0Here are a few tips for your nature day.<\/p>\n

1. \u00a0Pack all your food for the day. \u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

All of it. \u00a030 minutes in the morning, and you’re done until supper.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

And not just for the kids! \u00a0Don’t forget you. \u00a0Sneak in a bit of chocolate. \u00a0Enough berries for YOU to have some. \u00a0And invest in a big picnic blanket and some rain pants for everyone so you can really get comfortable out there.<\/p>\n

Just imagine\u2026 \u00a0a day spent with your children without washing a single dish!<\/p>\n

2. \u00a0Consider leaving the toys at home<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A good touchable natural spot will have all you need. \u00a0The rule for play? \u00a0Anything can be anything.<\/p>\n

Sticks can be fishing rods. \u00a0Bark can be boats. \u00a0Eucalyptus pods can be money.<\/p>\n

Watch your children, and you’ll be amazed to see what they invent.<\/p>\n

3. \u00a0Take it In<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When you get that much anticipated quiet moment, when everyone is gainfully occupied, resist the urge to take out your phone. \u00a0Instead, just… listen.<\/p>\n

And if anything in your life feels hard to hold, ask for support. \u00a0From the earth. \u00a0The air. \u00a0The trees. \u00a0In the right spot, you’ll feel it all around you – how deeply you are supported.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

You are a mother, just like that turtle over there. \u00a0That heron. \u00a0That squirrel.<\/p>\n

Your children, yours and not yours. \u00a0Children of the universe. \u00a0As much as wolf pups. \u00a0Owlets. \u00a0\u00a0Or stars.<\/p>\n

How lovingly they too are held.<\/p>\n

And all those ways human beings throughout time have found to personify the ineffable\u2026 \u00a0The fairies of England. \u00a0The little people of Iceland. \u00a0Gnomes, elves, elementals.<\/p>\n

There’s a reason all these things are so closely associated with nature in lore from throughout human history.<\/p>\n

Because nature is the easiest place for most of us to connect with forces larger than ourselves.<\/p>\n

It is hard as parents to imagine a love greater than our own for our children.<\/p>\n

But I think we owe it to our little ones to try.<\/p>\n

So that we can help them know and learn, in time, the deep resources that exist for them to draw upon. \u00a0How vastly they are loved.<\/p>\n

Go outside. \u00a0Because it’s\u00a0easier, there, to remember.<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_cta admin_label=”Call To Action” url_new_window=”off” use_background_color=”on” background_color=”#9cd8a9″ background_layout=”dark” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” custom_button=”off” button_letter_spacing=”0″ button_use_icon=”default” button_icon_placement=”right” button_on_hover=”on” button_letter_spacing_hover=”0″ saved_tabs=”all” body_font_size=”16″]<\/p>\n

Want to get outside with us? \u00a0Our Waldorf inspired, nature-based parent child music class,\u00a0Meadowlark<\/strong>, meets outdoors on Fridays at the\u00a0Botanical Garden! \u00a0We also meet indoors at Natural Resources on Wednesdays.<\/p>\n

Or, if you can’t make it to that, you can\u00a0download our recordings\u00a0<\/a>for free. \u00a0<\/strong>Our album features a collection of 27 songs for young nature lovers.<\/p>\n

To connect further, join the\u00a0conversation in our\u00a0online community, Deep River Families<\/a><\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n

Blessings, \u00a0NV<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_cta][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” use_border_color=”off” border_color=”#ffffff” border_style=”solid” text_font_size=”16″] Parenting is no joke. \u00a0For most of us, it’s the hardest work we\u2019ll ever do. Alfie Kohn said it well\u2026 \u00a0You know that expression we use to emphasize that something is, relatively speaking, not too hard? \u00a0We say \u201cit\u2019s not rocket science!\u201d Kohn […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1841,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[53,3,4,1,5],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1834"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1834\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.noevenable.com\/singingcircles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}