Teaching Children the Art of 'Down-Time'

My 90 year-old friend Betty is always saying "It's a mad, mad world." And, from a certain perspective she is right, especially when it comes to our schedules these days. How often do you find yourself thinking or saying "It's been a really hectic week!" Or my recent favourite "Life has been moving at a frightening pace," which I have been saying far too often lately.

Inevitably we are subjecting our children to these crazy schedules of ours. Soon, their calendars are filling up as fast as ours are with play-dates, sports and other activities. How do we keep a balance and have the time to even breathe let alone practice personal hygiene?

Well, I believe one way to strike a balance in today's hectic life is to take time for the still things. Stop and smell the roses so to speak. Take moments to stop and look at a delicate cherry blossom, smell a fragrant flower, admire the ocean or mountains, take a deep breath of fresh air, enjoy a fun moment with your child... and slowly exhale, turning off your mind for a moment, letting go of the constant to-do list and brrrrrrreeeeeaaaaaatttthhhhhhhhhhhhhe...........

My friend, who is a massage therapist, has a motto: "Being still is doing something." I think it is brilliant. We, women in particular, are such high achievers, such stalwart champions to the point where we are even very competitive with each other. We seem to not be able to stop for a moment because, god forbid, we may look like we're being lazy or unproductive. Well, the irony is that we tend to be much more productive in the long run when we take the time to rest our minds and bodies and let ourselves just be for a few moments.

These little, quality things are monumental in their advantages to our health and wellness and do not even take much time out of our day. And it is a wonderful influence to have on our children despite these frenetic times running from task to task, errand after errand.

When it comes to eating, we have a great opportunity to take advantage of being in the moment. Start by having as little distraction as possible while you and your kid(s) eat. Use conversation to point out the characteristics of the food you are eating. For example sometimes I'll say to Oskar, "How do you like how that feels in your mouth? Is it soft, squishy, hard or smooth? What flavours are you tasting? What colour is your broccoli/carrot/beet? What flavours are in your soup?" Or perhaps you can just reflect on the day and recognize what you are grateful for. Now that's an easy and rewarding thing to do regularly!

These are wonderful ways to a reconnect with your body, mind and spirit. It will also strengthen your body's ability to digest and metabolize and, therefore, its ability to absorb nutrients. It may sound a little strange but this practice ultimately acts as a distraction from your typically overactive left brain that actually creates a lot of physical stress in our bodies. This is why yoga and meditation have become so popular in our culture. We need it to stay sane and to find some balance in such an overproductive, competitive culture.

So next time you sit down to have a meal, turn off the television, put down the to-do list and focus on the food and your time with your family. It will pay off in dividends and you may just find your life is just a little more manageable.

*The following are some helpful links to help you be better nourished, manage the stress of your schedule, learn to incorporate a brief meditation into your day or perhaps even take a yoga class with your child:

Good Enough Moms website: Check out the podcast: Are you getting the most out of your meals, nutritionally and emotionally?

Transform stress in 30 days with One Moment Meditation (This week's e-newsletter article on Oprah's website)

Little Tree Yoga

Bowen Island Wellness Retreats: watch for our upcoming Mother's Day retreat announcement