*Hello, April 2nd! I must begin this post with a little smile as we embrace imperfection together. I worked so hard to get this out to you yesterday, on April 1st, but I swear between being sick and my computer going on the fritz deleting my draft 3 times, I just surrendered to posting a day 'late." So, give me a little hug, and let's start this whole 30 day challenge on April 2nd :) *
April has been dubbed the month of the 30 day challenge. There is a decent stretch after the good 'ole New Years resolutions where we are either redirecting or reevaluating our goals. I'm always one to remind myself, it's ok if I've gotten off track. You're human, congratulations, you're going to make mistakes! Guess what, it's all going to be ok. I promise.
The internet is chock full of options for 30 day challenges. A Lunge Challenge, Green Smoothie Challenge and Plank Challenge can amp up your spring. I'm starting the Squat Challenge today, because I can do it in my home, and my 4 year old can help me count! His enthusiasm will surely keep me going. Maybe you choose to quiet down for the month of April by reading more, exploring a daily meditation practice, or writing a letter to a friend or family member each day. This post from Thought Brick offers a great list of ideas that are fairly simple but will have a great impact on your life after the 30 days.
Besides woking on the glutes with my squat challenge, I have set another goal for myself. I am really trying to shift my perspective when I begin to lose patience with my son. He is a wonderfully vocal and strong willed 4 year old. Generally he's a bouncy, silly bundle of awesome. He's got his moments though where Mr Hyde comes out. As far as toddlers go, this is par for the course. Yet, it is still one of the biggest challenges parent's face. What do you do when you are ignored all throughout the day, when you have a child who has just lost all control over his emotions, when you're both overtired and neither of you are processing the situation clearly? The kicker here is that there is no easy answer. It. Is. Tough. But, we love our kiddos like nothing else, so we do our best to figure out how to handle this whirlwind of crazy, within them and ourselves. My goal for this month is to pause and breathe instead of rising to the level of wild my son can get to. I'm usually able to keep my cool, but I've had moments lately where I am shouting back, which solves nothing. My goal is to take a step back from the heat when I feel the emotions rise, take 3 breaths (I will truly stop and count 3 breaths) then do my best to calmly handle the situation. Because his behavior is not my own. I can and must set the example for him. Our sweet little ones watch and absorb all that we say and do. The Barefoot Barn blog provides an amazing resource for positive discipline. Such fantastic reminders of what the child needs and craves in those moments. What our children usually need is connection. I am looking forward to listening, observing and connecting more this month. It will take a whole lot of will power and even more yoga breaths to help me do this, but I'm up for the challenge. My relationship with my son is worth this.
My 30 day challenge this April is to remain the supportive constant for my son in his emotional rollercoaster of toddler-hood and to enjoy some silliness as we count mommy's squats together. I will happily check in with you all via facebook and let you know how it's going. If you decide to begin your own 30 day challenge, share it with me here or on facebook. I would love to hear your big goal for the month! We'll start today on April 2nd and go to May 1st, because it's ok to bend the rules a little :)
Whether you choose to register for a 5k, pack your lunch each day, or decide to set a parenting goal to help you find more gratitude and joy, grab a friend to hold you accountable. This sets you up for greater success.
Let's set our goals, be kind to ourselves, and bring on Spring.
Go, baby, go! You've got this!