Grow Me Gently

🌿✨ The Power of Slow Breathing: Easing Children's Anxiety 🌼🌈
Today, let's dive into a simple yet incredible tool to support our children in coping with anxiety: slow breathing. 💫
Anxiety is a natural part of childhood, and while some stress can be healthy, it's important to help our children develop essential skills to navigate their emotions. Slow breathing, also known as deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing, can significantly contribute to creating a sense of calmness and well-being. Here's why it is worth encouraging this practice: 🌬️💓
1️⃣ Soothes the Mind: Slow, deep breaths activate the body's relaxation response, triggering the parasympathetic nervous system. By focusing on their breath, children can slow down racing thoughts and regain control over their anxious mind.
2️⃣ Reduces Physical Tension: Anxiety often manifests physically, with tense muscles and a racing heartbeat. Teaching children slow breathing techniques helps them release physical tension, promoting a sense of ease and relaxation throughout their body.
3️⃣ Enhances Emotional Regulation: Deep breaths can assist children in developing emotional resilience. By practicing slow breathing during moments of anxiety, they learn to pause, observe, and choose how to respond to their feelings in a more centred and balanced way.
4️⃣ Improves Concentration: When our children are anxious, it can be challenging for them to concentrate on tasks and activities. Slow breathing helps them concentrate better by diverting their attention from worries and redirecting it towards the present moment.
5️⃣ Encourages Mindfulness: Breathing exercises allow children to cultivate mindfulness, being fully present in the current moment. This promotes self-awareness, empathy, and a greater understanding of their own inner experiences.
Here's a simple slow breathing exercise you can try with your child:
1️⃣ Find a quiet and comfortable space together.
2️⃣ Invite your child to place one hand on their belly and the other hand on their chest.
3️⃣ Inhale deeply through the nose, feeling their belly rise like a balloon. Count to four as they breathe in.
4️⃣ Exhale slowly through the mouth, feeling their belly lower. Again, count to four.
5️⃣ Repeat this cycle for a few minutes, guiding them gently through the process.
Remember, practicing slow breathing with your child can be a bonding experience and a lifelong skill that helps them navigate through life's ups and downs. Let's empower our young ones with the gift of calmness and resilience! 🌟❤️

We shouldn’t have to but here are some tips on how to talk to your child about war 😞❤️ https://www.unicef.org/parenting/how-talk-your-children-about-conflict-and-war

Book a free assessment call and let's make your child's next medical procedure as stress-free as possible.

Well, after many years of you all patiently watching me play with this idea, Grow Me Gently has finally grown it's own little wings and is ready to fly! It's interesting, the journey we take sometimes, and for me its been a lifetimes work to get to this point, nursing, teaching and now the perfect combination in Child Life Therapy! Finding a way to tie my skills and passion together into the perfect little business has been something I have dreamt of for so long and finally here I am proudly presenting

grow me gently supporting children through medical procedures

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[ID: a father helps his two daughters look closely at something through a magnifying glass near the trees. The photo has a calm feeling of wonder to it. The words “Instead of training children to meet the expectations of adults, we should be training adults to meet the psychological, emotional and development needs of children.” –Zoe Tolman is written on top of the image.]

Be gentle with yourself Mama 💕

Just a quick reminder to stress less my loves! Be as gentle with yourself as you are with others

Your kids aren’t bad people, and neither are you

Grow Me Gently is now on WhatsApp.

There’s always more behind those big feelings than we see in the behaviour. Behaviour is communication, always 💕

Meet Vicki - Hi I’m Vicki, founder of Grow Me Gently, and I’m so glad you’re here.

My passion for all things childhood dates back to the birth of my own girls, almost 30 years ago. Those early years at home with them were some of my most fulfilling. As they grew I found myself wanting to share the joy of play and the power of connected, gentle interactions so I jumped into the world of Early Childhood Education.

Since then I have had over 20 years’ experience working in and directing long day care centres, preschools, running my own family day care in my home and working as a mentor and support to other educators. Along the way I have earned my B Teaching (Early Childhood) and Diploma of Children’s Services as well as qualified as a Marte Meo Practitioner. I am currently studying Child Development through UNSW and am about to begin a new role as a Child Life Therapist at a Children’s hospital.

If I had to define my philosophy in one word it would be ‘gentle’. That’s how others have described my approach to parenting and to teaching, and nothing warms my heart more. I believe that gentleness brings out the best in people, often to the point of helping them to see their own potential more clearly. Treating yourself and others gently gives us all the time and space to think, to be heard, to grow and be our best.

This project is about supporting the grown ups who have children, raise children or teach children to grow and flourish. We ALL grow better with kindness!

In my spare time you will find me snuggled up with my sausage dog, Humphrey, meditating in the sun, travelling with my husband or playing with my beautiful grand babies (and their parents of course).

Thanks so much for being here, and joining the adventure. Can’t wait to share it with you all!
Love, Vicki # # #

Go gently my loves 💕