Relax Kids - Maidstone & Malling

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them.🌺🌺🌺

Stress Awareness Day

We all have a small bit of stress in us during the day, we may not notice it but it is there.

Here is a small breathing exercise to help you when you are feeling a little stressed. Deep breathing sends a message to your brain to say be calm, be relaxed. Try it and see if it works for you 💜

Take care tonight & be mindful of others who might not wish to take part. If a house isn't decorated then please don't knock.

A new sculpture hunt to look forward & enjoy as a family in 2024. I loved the Elmer one didn't you??

After the success of their art trail in Maidstone last year, has announced a new art trail for 2024, with none other than the fabulous family favourite, Shaun the Sheep.

Happy October folks!

🍁🍃👻🦇🎃🍂🍁 OCTOBER IS HERE! 🍁🍂🎃🦇👻🍃🍁

Download our FREE Monthly Affirmation Calendar here: https://relaxkids.com/calendar 💜

Today we are supporting Youth Mental Health Day 💜

Knowing that it is ok to talk, ask for help, and also knowing there are people around you who care 💜

This might help some of you & your little ones. A sad time for the nation

What a sad day. No matter how you feel about the monarchy; today a family lost their much loved matriarch and many around the world will be mourning the loss of a strong woman who was a constant in turbulent times.

The following days could prove unsettling to children. There will be a sense of collective grief amongst those in the UK (and commonwealth), television and radio programmes will change, there will be constant sombre music and talk of death and funerals. All of this coming at a time of societal change and with children starting or returning to school.

What's the best way to handle this with children? I'm a firm believer in not shielding children from death. I don't think we do them justice in trying to protect them from it. If we don't talk to them about it somebody else will; such as a a friend in the school playground, or they will overhear a conversation. When somebody dies, whether in our close family or someone who played an important role in our life - like the Queen, we should take time to sit and explain to our children what has happened, using simple, child friendly language. Avoid using ambiguous terms such as "passed away", "went to heaven" (conversations about religious and spiritual beliefs can happen later), or "gone to sleep", instead be clear that the Queen has died; actively use the term death.

It's natural for children to ask questions, try to answer them as honestly and accurately as possible, however uncomfortable or inappropriate they may feel to you. It's also natural for them to worry about you, or others close to them dying, here try to reassure them, but again be honest. It is always good to have a few children's books to hand which can help you to explain death to younger children. Children may like to process their feelings and remember the Queen by drawing pictures, or writing about her (this is akin to us as adults writing in a book of condolence).

If you're upset at the news (or it has triggered past grief in you), don't feel that you have to hide your emotions, again it's good for children to see us grieving. Similarly, it is more than appropriate for children to be allowed to watch the funeral on television if they - or you - would like to.

Much love to everyone today, it's going to be a strange, sad and discombobulating period for many (in times that are already tricky).

Image credit: Joel Rouse/ Ministry of DefenceDerivative: nagualdesign - defenceimagery.mod.uk, OGL 3, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65165563

Our thoughts are with the Royal Family tonight on the sad news of the Queen's passing this afternoon.
She was an amazing woman who was beautiful inside & out, who's smile lit up the room. Rip sweet lady & be reunited with your Prince once more

❤️ This

Mattel introduces first autistic character in Thomas & Friends

💜

Start the new term with a new affirmation calender.
Free to download.

September is around the corner. Download our latest Monthly Affirmation Calendar here:

https://relaxkids.com/calendar

Good luck to all those collecting GCSE results today

💜

Have a fab weekend & stay safe in the heat today. Stay cool & hydrated.

💜

Have a look at our free emagazine, SHINE, full of loveliness, wonderfulness, amazingness and lots and lots of info and fab articles. Download today!

https://relaxkids.com/relaxandshine/

Fancy a free craft event for the kids this Summer?
Communigrow are coming to us on Tuesday 9th,16th,23rd and 30th of August. They will be in the main hall and this will run along side our weekly Supermarket.

A reminder incase anyone needs it 💙

💜🌞 RULES FOR SUMMER - DAY TWO 🌞💜

💜 A few little relaxation challenges for children 💜

Heres your FREE August affirmation calendar to use at home .

Calendar - Relax Kids - Official Website Download our FREE Monthly Affirmation Calendar An affirmation a day for the month ahead Download here

Have a, relaxing Sunday folks. 😎🌞

💜

How Marneta started Relax Kids all those years ago

How Relax Kids began
When I was choosing my options at school, I had no idea I would be an author. Being an author sounded so important and clever yet romantic and a distant dream that so few can claim. I wasn’t even particularly good at English, although I had a deep interest in drama and storytelling.
After graduating with a BA in Performing Arts and later training in Mime, I stumbled into a clowning career. I was even invited to perform at HRH Prince of Wales’ 50th Birthday at Buckingham Palace, as well as a cluster of celebrity parties who were enamoured by my story telling rather than buffoonery style.
Over the 13 years of party entertaining I noticed a change in children’s behaviour. I noticed how they were becoming more and more hyperactive, less able to listen and sit still and concentrate on my (hopefully wonderful) show.
Having been introduced to meditation and yoga when I was 12 by my mother, I felt that meditation techniques would help children focus and concentrate and started using a few of these techniques in my shows. When I was a child I was laughed at for meditating and years later a few laughed at my idea of meditation for children.
At that time, at the end of the 90s, meditation was relatively unheard of. Parents were scared that it might be spiritual or associated with the occult, so I had to find a way to introduce these amazingly simple techniques to children in a way that parents would find acceptable.
Having loved fairy tales (I wrote and directed a pantomime each year, using one of my favourite fairy tales, for 15 years), I had the thought to combine fairy stories and relaxation exercises. Children would imagine they were Jack climbing the beanstalk and floating in the clouds or Sleeping Beauty lying still on a feather bed. Once I had the idea I wrote the meditations very quickly. They seemed to flow beautifully once I was in a relaxed space.
I was so lucky that O-Books were interested in my book and actually wanted me to submit two books. I was informed that it would be a year until the books were out. I felt so impatient as I felt children needed something now and a year seemed too far off. At the time, my mother gave me an early inheritance to put a deposit down on a flat in London. I informed her I was going to use the money to make relaxation CDs for children. I intended to make audio copies of the book even though I had no idea what it would entail.
A few months later, I had a small range of products – the first of their kind in the UK. I gave the brand a name – Relax Kids (says what it does on the tin) and initially gave products away to friends and family. I took them to my children’s parties and talked to parents about them, encouraging them to trial them. The word started to spread as parents were having great results and so were telling other parents and even taking them into school and telling teachers. I did try some costly advertising including one directory that was over a thousand pounds and brought no return.
To promote the brand, I went to Mind Body Spirit and Education conferences and tried to talk at as many conferences as I could. In 2005, I went on Dragons’ Den with the products. Although the Dragons didn’t see how Relax Kids was a viable business, two of them asked to use the CDs with their own children. Television exposure helped raise the profile almost overnight and orders went up considerably. Being featured in local and national press helped raise public awareness.
All the major bookshops were interested in the products, but it was too niche and they didn’t know where to position them. I stopped pursuing the big shops and worked directly with my customers.
Intense meetings with buyers gave me a headache while I enjoyed customer interaction and feedback. This was so much more important to me than being in a big shop. I also focused on getting some distributors who would promote and sell the products at exhibitions and in catalogues. I worked alongside O-Books and took support from their fantastic distribution and marketing network.
Alongside the products, I created Relax Kids classes for children, and then a training course to teach adults to run their own business teaching classes and selling the products, so making a profit. This was a great way to help promote the products. I created training for schools and bundle deals of products so encouraging teachers to use Relax Kids in their school. The growth was slow and steady and as I needed it, I took on more staff, allowing me to do what I did best (create and teach).
In 2013, (10 years after publishing the first two books) I was approached by the Dutch publisher who had my books. They wanted me to write a third book. I accepted the challenge in an instant and within a month, the book was written. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to offer the book to O-Books and then got inspired to write four more. All five books will be published this year and I am currently working on another four, including one about my dog, Ronnie Barker (The Tail of Ronnie Barker). I tend to do projects together as I get easily bored and need the variety. It can get confusing and difficult to co-ordinate and manage, but keeps my interest and passion alive.
17 years ago, I had no idea my simple idea would be taken on by so many families and schools. I did not realise that I was creating a brand at the time. It has been back breaking and heart breaking at times. I have made many mistakes, but I feel so grateful that I have had this experience and I am so grateful to John Hunt and O-Books for giving me this opportunity.
I am proud to say that I was at the beginning of the mindfulness revolution – I was around before many others at a time where people laughed at the idea of meditation for children.

how Relax Kids began
When I was choosing my options at school, I had no idea I would be an author. Being an author sounded so important and clever yet romantic and a distant dream that so few can claim. I wasn’t even particularly good at English, although I had a deep interest in drama and storytelling.

After graduating with a BA in Performing Arts and later training in Mime, I stumbled into a clowning career. I was even invited to perform at HRH Prince of Wales’ 50th Birthday at Buckingham Palace, as well as a cluster of celebrity parties who were enamoured by my story telling rather than buffoonery style.

Over the 13 years of party entertaining I noticed a change in children’s behaviour. I noticed how they were becoming more and more hyperactive, less able to listen and sit still and concentrate on my (hopefully wonderful) show.

Having been introduced to meditation and yoga when I was 12 by my mother, I felt that meditation techniques would help children focus and concentrate and started using a few of these techniques in my shows. When I was a child I was laughed at for meditating and years later a few laughed at my idea of meditation for children.

At that time, at the end of the 90s, meditation was relatively unheard of. Parents were scared that it might be spiritual or associated with the occult, so I had to find a way to introduce these amazingly simple techniques to children in a way that parents would find acceptable.

Having loved fairy tales (I wrote and directed a pantomime each year, using one of my favourite fairy tales, for 15 years), I had the thought to combine fairy stories and relaxation exercises. Children would imagine they were Jack climbing the beanstalk and floating in the clouds or Sleeping Beauty lying still on a feather bed. Once I had the idea I wrote the meditations very quickly. They seemed to flow beautifully once I was in a relaxed space.

I was so lucky that O-Books were interested in my book and actually wanted me to submit two books. I was informed that it would be a year until the books were out. I felt so impatient as I felt children needed something now and a year seemed too far off. At the time, my mother gave me an early inheritance to put a deposit down on a flat in London. I informed her I was going to use the money to make relaxation CDs for children. I intended to make audio copies of the book even though I had no idea what it would entail.

A few months later, I had a small range of products – the first of their kind in the UK. I gave the brand a name – Relax Kids (says what it does on the tin) and initially gave products away to friends and family. I took them to my children’s parties and talked to parents about them, encouraging them to trial them. The word started to spread as parents were having great results and so were telling other parents and even taking them into school and telling teachers. I did try some costly advertising including one directory that was over a thousand pounds and brought no return.

To promote the brand, I went to Mind Body Spirit and Education conferences and tried to talk at as many conferences as I could. In 2005, I went on Dragons’ Den with the products. Although the Dragons didn’t see how Relax Kids was a viable business, two of them asked to use the CDs with their own children. Television exposure helped raise the profile almost overnight and orders went up considerably. Being featured in local and national press helped raise public awareness.

All the major bookshops were interested in the products, but it was too niche and they didn’t know where to position them. I stopped pursuing the big shops and worked directly with my customers.

Intense meetings with buyers gave me a headache while I enjoyed customer interaction and feedback. This was so much more important to me than being in a big shop. I also focused on getting some distributors who would promote and sell the products at exhibitions and in catalogues. I worked alongside O-Books and took support from their fantastic distribution and marketing network.

Alongside the products, I created Relax Kids classes for children, and then a training course to teach adults to run their own business teaching classes and selling the products, so making a profit. This was a great way to help promote the products. I created training for schools and bundle deals of products so encouraging teachers to use Relax Kids in their school. The growth was slow and steady and as I needed it, I took on more staff, allowing me to do what I did best (create and teach).

In 2013, (10 years after publishing the first two books) I was approached by the Dutch publisher who had my books. They wanted me to write a third book. I accepted the challenge in an instant and within a month, the book was written. I thought it was a perfect opportunity to offer the book to O-Books and then got inspired to write four more. All five books will be published this year and I am currently working on another four, including one about my dog, Ronnie Barker (The Tail of Ronnie Barker). I tend to do projects together as I get easily bored and need the variety. It can get confusing and difficult to co-ordinate and manage, but keeps my interest and passion alive.

17 years ago, I had no idea my simple idea would be taken on by so many families and schools. I did not realise that I was creating a brand at the time. It has been back breaking and heart breaking at times. I have made many mistakes, but I feel so grateful that I have had this experience and I am so grateful to John Hunt and O-Books for giving me this opportunity.
I am proud to say that I was at the beginning of the mindfulness revolution – I was around before many others at a time where people laughed at the idea of meditation for children.

Great advice for the week.

Unplug from the world for a little today 🌈💚

Try this breathing exercise...

Imagine you are holding a flower in one hand and a dandelion clock in the other. Now imagine breathing in the flower, smelling deeply the petals amd the scent 🌸. Fill your body with the imagined colour of the flower.

Now breathe out, imagining you are blowing the dandelion clock seeds across the garden 🌾

Shake it off. Listen to the slowed down rhythm of your breath.

Only plug back into the world when you're ready 🌈💚

Its going to be a very hot couple of days so please take care & stay hydrated.
Our children will struggle & emotions will be all over the place this week being the end of term & the heat might exacerbate meltdowns so help them through it with calmness & compassion.
Stay safe folks
Ann

Happy Monday Everyone! Have a lovely week 💜

If in the heat today, remember to keep hydrated.

Deaf Expo is nearly here! On September 18th you are invited to join us at this free event where you can listen to talks from various professionals, browse stalls from education, speech and language therapy, audiological equipment and many more. There will be fun activities for children and young people. This year we are asking families to sign up using the Eventbrite system. Please use the link below to book your free tickets
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/deaf-expo-2022-tickets-377882816677

This might be of interest to some of you for the school hols ?