Emmy working on some creativity at the Front Row Summit
So many love the idea of the C.H.A.R.M.S. but have trouble knowing exactly what to do at home. I thought it may be helpful to create some themed Miracle Mornings for kids that parents can use at home or teachers can use in the classroom. I want to make it easy for you to pass on the principles of personal development to your kids by sharing arts & crafts, fun ways to move their bodies, powerful affirmations, book recommendations that share a lesson, mindfulness principles, and service projects around the house and in their community. I'd love to have others contribute their own themed Miracle Mornings too, so if you have a great routine we would love to hear about it! Please contact me at lindsay@gratefulparent.com if you'd like to be a contributor.
The first one will feature the book, A Golden Adventure The Hunt for the Missing Rainbow written by a new friend of mine, Sarah Beebe. Sarah and I met in Cleveland, OH this summer at the Front Row Foundation Summit and I love this book. In this story, two Golden Retrievers see a rainbow but it quickly disappears. They go on an adventure to find it again and along the way find something in nature for each color of the rainbow. This book is great for kids learning to read on their own. All the color words are printed in that color so even non-readers can "read" those words. Once you're done reading the story, you are invited to go on your own rainbow walk, which is a great way to combine the Health and Meditation C.H.A.R.M.S.
Creativity: Visit Sarah's website for several creativity activities that go with the book. Depending on your child's age they range from coloring pages for the younger set up to a double puzzle for the elementary aged kids. She also has a page where your child can set some reading goals!
Health: Go on your own Rainbow Walk. As you walk look for all the colors of the rainbow- red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet.
Emmy and Sierra on a Rainbow Walk.
Affirmation: I am aware of my surroundings. As parents, we want our kids to be aware of what's happening around them and pay attention to their surroundings and the choices they are making. My friend Traci Osborn (who is one of the parenting profiles in The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families) told me she learned at a parenting workshop to say, "be aware" instead of saying, "be careful" to children. Here's a brilliant article that explains exactly why.
Reading: A Golden Adventure The Hunt for the Missing Rainbow by Sarah Beebe
Tyler leading Tiger on a different type of walking meditation where his eyes are closed.
Meditation: Use the Rainbow Walk as a walking meditation. You can explain to your kids that during the walk, "we're going to walk slowly and be extra aware of the colors we see to find all the colors of the rainbow." They will be focusing on the sense of sight which is a mindfulness practice. Here's an article with some other ideas for using a walking meditation with kids.
Service: In a previous blog post I talked about Jay Papasan's framework for giving. If you have nothing else, give gratitude. The next step is to give time and then money. This is probably the highest level our kids will be contributing. The next two levels are leadership (by serving on a board of directors) and then wealth (by setting up a foundation). So I will give 3 service examples based on this framework. Since the story is about dogs the ideas will stick to that theme. To give gratitude ask your kids why they are grateful for your family pet. If you don't have a family pet, maybe ask about animals in general. To give time your child could spend some time either feeding or walking the family pet. If you don't have a family pet, maybe have them offer to walk or feed a neighbor's dog- without accepting payment. Another idea is to spend some time making homemade dog biscuits to gift to neighbors or a local pet shelter. If you want to give money or goods, contact your local animal shelter to find out their needs. Most post a wishlist of needs right on their websites. Have your child help pick out the goods to donate and come with you when you drop them off.
I hope this was helpful to you and I plan to do more of these. Please offer me some feedback if you like this format or if you'd like me to tweak things. I'm grateful for Sarah Beebe and her passion for helping kids learn to read in a fun way. I'm grateful we connected at the Front Row Summit and look forward to seeing what she will create next! I'm sending Goldie healing energy for a quick recovery from her recent knee surgery. Poor girl! I love to hear from you. Please comment below or better yet, join the conversation over in The Miracle Morning for Parents and Families Facebook Community.