Realistic Holistic

Hands up if you also feel kinda itchy with the “positive vibes only” trend. 🙋🏼‍♀️

"Do you have any parenting regrets?"

Someone asked me that recently and it got me thinking. The little cutie in the photo is our fourth and last kid, and he turns five soon. His last few years have felt immensely different from the earlier years with my older three kids - for a multitude of reasons, but let me tell you about one in particular:

One of the major areas of wellness that I neglected for far too long is mindfulness and regulation. When I first found my way onto this alternative path it was via a real food diet & a non-toxic lifestyle. Those were my big focus, and to be honest - I believed those were the major players in terms of impact. I was all about healthy, whole foods recipes, nutrition, easy natural DIYs and remedies for things like minor illnesses, first aid, body care, and household products.

That lane had some good things to say (and that's what much of my first website, redandhoney.com, is about!), and some value - absolutely. But it had its blinders on, too. It lacked balance in a few other key areas of overall health and wellness - such as mental and emotional regulation.

For years I didn't realize the incredible impact that working in this area can have - even on your physical health! It was sort of a "didn't know/didn't care to find out" kind of thing... which I regret. In those years of growing/birthing/parenting 3 babies in under 4 years my mental wellness and regulation was nothing short of chaos. I felt like I was drowning with no way to express, process, or manage any of the complex emotions or thoughts.

I've spent the last few years getting acquainted with the idea of regulating my mind as a key part of my health, and it has been INCREDIBLY powerful. Looking back on those years I regret that I didn't have the tools and resources I needed in order to manage my mind better so that I might have felt more grounded, calmer, and more present with my kids. I'm not blaming past me... but I do grieve what I was missing back then.

There are so many ways to accomplish this, but here are the practices and tools I love:

(Continued in comments)

The first and fourth were my biggest struggle for so long! Which of these dietary mistakes resonates with you the most? 😘

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