Stepping into Intentional Parenting: My Top 3 Objectives for a Fulfilling New Year Ep 72

Welcome to the first episode of the year 2024! 

As we dive into the fresh chapter ahead, it's time to set our sights on purposeful objectives. This episode is all about making 2024 your most fulfilling year yet, especially if you're navigating the ever-evolving journey of parenting.

In this episode, we embark on a reflective journey together. I share my personal insights on transitioning from a structured practice to building an online business, recognizing the need for intentionality amidst the distractions and shiny distractions that often pull us away from our goals.

As I craft this new chapter, I realize the parallels it holds with the diverse challenges parents face. From the delightful chaos of newborns to the evolving dynamics with toddlers pushing boundaries, each phase demands adaptability and focus.

The core theme revolves around setting intentions and actionable steps to manifest our aspirations. Drawing from my experiences and learnings, I introduce three key objectives represented by the acronym "T.O.E.," mirroring the simplicity yet depth of meaning akin to the toe on your foot.

Through "TOE" - 'T' for 'Making 1:1 Time,' 'O' for 'Outside Events,' and 'E' for 'Eating Together' - we explore practical ways to weave intentionality into everyday routines, leveraging research, history, and modern science to aid our parenting journey.

Join me as we uncover how these objectives aren't exclusive to a specific parenting stage; they're guiding principles for nurturing better family dynamics and fostering deeper connections. 

By recommitting to our objectives regularly, we cultivate a sense of grounding and agency, moving beyond reacting - to purposefully choosing our path.

This episode isn't just about setting resolutions; it's about creating a sustainable, intentional lifestyle that resonates with your family's unique rhythm. 

So, whether you're a new parent navigating uncharted territories or an experienced one seeking a refreshed perspective, this episode offers invaluable insights and practical strategies to embrace the year ahead with purpose.

Tune in to recalibrate your parenting compass, finding alignment with your aspirations and forging ahead with clarity and intention. 

Together, let's embark on this journey to cultivate a fulfilling and intentional year for you and your family.

Benefits of Listening:

1. Gain insights into transitioning from structured routines to intentional living.
2. Discover three actionable objectives ('TOE') applicable across different parenting stages.
3. Learn practical strategies to integrate intentionality into everyday parenting.
4. Embrace a reflective approach to set meaningful goals aligned with your family's values.
5. Cultivate deeper connections and better family dynamics through intentional parenting practices.

CLICK HERE - JOIN THE WAITLIST

CLICK HERE - Building Vocabulary: Single Words to 2-Word Phrases Guide

Previous episodes mentioned:
Episode # 28   What Do Toddlers Need Most? (And How to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed)

Episode # 51   Take It Outside: Why Can't My Toddler Sit Still

Episode # 55   The #1 Secret to Avoid Having A Picky Eater

Happy New Year!

Transcript

Erin 0:00

What I came up with after looking at all of what could be focused on, especially as a new mom, there's so much, right? I want to break it down to three things that ironically ended up being an acronym TOE. T O E, like the toe on your foot. And at first I thought, well that's kind of silly, but you know, sometimes acronyms help us remember. And then I thought about it, and I, and I do this quite a bit. I go for a long walk, or I do some meditation, and I really let go of some of my language overload. And I look through it. more practically. And I thought, well, what does the word toe mean? Hello, and welcome to Talking Toddlers, where I share more than just tips and tricks on how to reduce tantrums or build your toddler's vocabulary. We're going to cover all of that, here, our goal is to develop clarity. Because in this modern world, it's truly overwhelming. This podcast is about empowering moms to know the difference between fact and fiction, to never give up, to tap into everyday activities so your child stays on track. He's not falling behind. He's thriving through your guidance. We know that true learning starts at home. So let's get started.

1:29

Hello and happy new year 2024. So this week let's focus on three key objectives that we can set for this new year. It's perfect timing. we all want to make this year, the best year yet. And with that in mind, I've spent some time contemplating. I really want to make this year more than any other year. I've had to be more intentional, because I think it will help me. I focus on what's important from what's just busy work, but it will also help me serve you better. And I realized that in this new chapter of my life, I'm more distracted that there's a lot of, you know, what they say, shiny instruments that. Seek my attention. And then I don't finish what I started. And I've shared in the past, how, I closed my private practice last year. my goal now is to build this online business, this brand, in which I can reach more people that I can have a greater impact than the one-on-one service provider model and I have to admit that it's a lot more different than I expected, and yet I'm excited to learn a whole brand new level of skills. yet, when I think back, I liked the structure of my practice, where I saw clients back to back. Hour after hour after hour and sometimes, 6, 8, 10 hours of therapy. There was a beginning, middle and an end and all of my days and weeks. Lined up right there. I knew how to show up. and it was very similar to how I went about therapy. I analyze the child, I made a priority list. And even with writing reports or analyzing those tests, I knew what the structure was. But now in this new life, this new chapter, this new season. it's a structure that I'm creating as I learn. And I think it's very similar to what you all are going through, that this is new for you as well. And that your creating it, by trial and error, um, But just like I have business mentors who are guiding me. I want you to have someone that can guide you. Someone like myself that has really been in the thick of it with little ones from birth through early elementary school. And whether you have a newborn or a new toddler, or perhaps your toddler is getting older and he's testing the boundaries each and every day, there's a lot of new learning going on. some days you might feel like you're finding your groove and you've created a system or two. And then, you know, bam, something tips over the cart and you're like, oh no, my little one's sick or my husband has to travel or I'm sick, or I have work. And so it all gets jumbled again, and we let go of those routines or we let go of our focus, our intention for where are we today and how are we moving down this path together? So at this point in time in January 2024, I know a lot of people, pick a one word to set the rhythm or the, overarching goal for that year. And I've done that before in the past. And I've had some fair success with that. But I wanted to do it publicly this time around and with you perhaps to inspire you to either use the same word I'm using or find your own as an umbrella and under that umbrella, then we can. develop objectives that keep us focused and help us strive toward. Success, to strive toward building the family and creating the lifestyle that you so much deserve and aspire to. And so I find that when we can recommit every day, every week, every month, every chapter. Then we can have more grounding, that we don't just react to things, but then we reasonably make choices. it's a process. We all know this, but. My word for this year, as I shared is intentional to show up for you, my audience to show up for myself. So I can feel like. I am being personally integral with what my purpose is, what my messages. And to really listen to your needs and respond in real time to help you help your family. Right. So the interesting thing is that these three objectives that I've kind of targeted. Or identified. It doesn't matter whether you have a baby or a toddler. That we can use these and any part of our journey, right? As human beings, as a part of a family unit or community that. These words, I think we'll just bring us back to build in building better relationships, better. Uh, better family unit. Right? So keep that in mind, as, as a new mom, these could be applied to any chapter that you're in, right? Whether you were expecting, like I said, or a brand new baby that you're trying to figure out the whole breastfeeding thing, or, introducing solid foods or trying to find his way through the maze of speech and language. So if you've been here for a while, you know I like the nuances. I. I think we need to sometimes get into the weeds. So then we can understand how the pieces fit together. And then I think it's important. We can really gauge if not measure or score, but really gauge where we are each and every day, each and every week, each and every month. Because, like I've shared with you before. As your kids learn and grow and thrive in their season, right? From birth to three. That's what we're focusing on here. There's a lot of movement. and there's a lot of things that you guys have to kind of sort through, but your little one is changing each and every day. And so it's really important that we understand how we can use everyday activities to hone those skills. And look toward research, but also look toward human evolution. What's what's typical. What's common. What's healthy. And how do we take full benefit of, of what we've learned historically? And then also apply that with how modern day science and research can be applied. And so I always try to make it practical and effective and then easy for you all to implement. What I came up with after looking at all of what. Could be focused on, especially as a new mom, there's so much right. I want to break it down to three things that ironically, ended up being an acronym of tow. T O E And like the toe on your foot. And at first I thought, well, that's kind of silly, but you know, sometimes acronyms help us remember. And then I thought about it and I, and I do this quite a bit. I go for a long walk or I do some meditation and I really kind of let go of some of my. Language kind of overload. And I look through it. More practically. And I thought, well, what does the word toe mean? And there could be two main meanings that could help us focus in on these objectives for this year, or at least for this first half of the year, we could, we could break the year up into segments. I, I talk a lot about, sometimes we can change our perspective on something and then we can change your experience. Right? The glass is half full or the glass is half empty. And so first I thought, oh, toe to toe I could go toe to toe. And what that means is to, pull it in close or to have a direct confrontation. Or even a direct competition. And I thought, well, how does that fit in to my message here and this new year and what our goals are. And it could be. That. I can step toe to toe with some of my critics, right. Because. I am trying to lay. The message that. The main stream or the common thread currently in our modern world. Isn't necessarily serving us and that you, as the new mom and you and your children are kind of getting the short end. And if you've listened to me for a while, and even if you're new here, I want to reintroduce that part of my message is to go against the grain, to think outside the box, because I feel like we as a human race, but at least here in America, that we've created a lifestyle. That is not necessarily serving the healthiest for us. and I think that, Thinking outside the box and kind of working against the grain, I did that in a private practice setting, pretty comfortably. And pretty quietly, actually, there was a word of mouth. And even though I had a website and I would. Talk to large organizations and whatnot, we were all kind of, of the same ilk, right. my reputation. followed like-minded people, And other professionals who seem to question some of the traditional methods. We, we kind of gravitated toward one another, but now. I'm stepping out into this whole world wide web, right. Www and sharing what I've learned and sharing my experience and my views, my opinions that, you know, might go against the grain of other people and maybe some of you and you're scratching your head and thinking, Hmm. I don't know if I really subscribed to that. But I'm curious, right. And so using social media can be a bit intimidating as I'm sure you all recognize. There are also pros and cons to everything in life. And so I'm trying to navigate this. where it could be a win-win right. That I. Can share my message. Share some of my experiences, share my thoughts, my perspectives, as you all know, three and a half decades. And I want to meet, to attract certain types of people, certain types of mamas or grandparents. And the grandparents are closer to my age. But that I'm looking to build this community. So we can support one another. Where we can build courageous families. And, an openness to asking questions. And to learn how to navigate this modern world with ease and without. that overriding uncertainty. Or wondering if I'm doing it right, or doing it well or am I enough as the mother, right? Or as the father as the family unit in itself. Because I I've seen so many. Parents settle. Because that's what the educational system. Teaches you. And that's what the medical model teaches you that, That this is just the new normal, and I'm saying let's go upstream. We have figured it out. We who have been in it trying to regulate or getting kids back on a healthy developmental path. And I believe that, we can all reach our full potential, whatever that potential is. I, I'm not saying that we're all equal in potential, but that we all have our own. Our own gifts, our own light. And that unfortunately, The message has been to settle. I think. And, and not to say that, That there aren't challenges and struggles for sure. And I think that we need to recognize that, but by looking at. How can I make 2024 the best year yet? Honesty's you know, up there. in my, high levels of value. Right. So with that, I look at the acronym of toe T O E. That I'm going to go toe to toe with some people. And that's okay. I'm comfortable with that because. I have enough experience. Enough study enough, ability to discern what sounds real and authentic and human. And what is kind of, um, settling. Or, letting go of. And just. Attaching yourself to a label. Or to a limiting belief, right? So what I'm hoping through these three new year objectives is that. If you're uncertain, right? You don't want to go toe to toe with people or you're, you're like, ah, I'm not sure. That you could use the word TOE, the acronym and just to dip your toe into something that's a little less familiar. Or that's a little more uncomfortable than you're used to. Or that your. Trying to parent or to show up differently. Because no one really teaches any of us, how to be a mama. Let alone a Papa or even a grandparent. I think grandparents have some kind of background knowledge that they're bringing to the table. And it's a whole different mindset, as you can imagine. Right. But if we just want to dip your toe in. W start slowly, start listening, start contemplating. I'm going to give you recommendations of books and other sites to go listen. And I have a whole list of wonderful colleagues and other. Experts that we're going to have a dialogue and just share. But I thought these T O E these three. objectives really fit under my one word message for the year to be intentional. Right. And. That I'm always encouraging you to look at. What is your end goal to keep that insight, And I say that a lot to try to picture your beautiful toddler growing into that seven or eight year old, who is thriving and is confident. And. Has great communicative skills. Who's curious and capable, right? Not necessarily that, they're the number one. Kid of the class or, the most popular, any of that, but that they're comfortable and confident in their own skin. That they're curious about. What interests them? Whether it's art or sports or music, or just, reading or cooking or, you know, organizing. I had. a little niece that was always into organizing and redecorating the house and, you know, and, and we just let her do her thing because that spoke to her right. and she grew into a beautiful, lovely 30 something, and that's what she does. She's a project manager and she organizes a lot of people with big, huge projects, but that was what spoke to her. And so we want. Their personality to shine. And we want to help them figure that out. And we also want to make sure that all of our children have a little bit of grit, right. That they're, that they experienced some kind of struggle now. And then. Because that's what drives us as human beings. Otherwise we learned to kind of just. Give up or let somebody else take the brunt of it. Or finish the project, right. We want your child to be able to know. This is a little challenging, but I'll give it my best shot. Because you've encouraged them. To try it again. That's okay. It doesn't, you don't have to give it on the first. Try, try it again. Right. And, and, and you do these in the first three years. Through some of these critical milestones, right? When they, when they fuss and struggle in tummy time. You helped encourage them because you knew. That they were building a stronger back or more robust rib cage and their neck and their forearms, because that was going to support them to sit up and to walk. Right. And that was also going to support their jaw stability for good speech and good chewing. That it all fits together, even though he was a little uncomfortable and tummy time. And they, you know, you guided him to really learn how to manipulate those initial crawling and get those feet out from underneath. So he could pull to a stand and then learn how to take his first steps. That was work. That was the effort. But if you kept picking him up and putting him on his feet, he never learned that struggle. Right? But if you sit down with him and you. help him learn how to chew, to avoid some of that gagging. There's going to be some gagging. There's going to be some spitting out of the food, but through trial and error and experience and positive attitude. He's going to learn how to eat well and appreciate foods of all kinds of flavor. Right? You supported him in learning how to climb up that ladder and, you know, go down his first slide. That was effort. That was kind of scary. Now, some kids are fearless. That's great. Let them, but keep an eye on them because those are the kids that, climb in a tree and fall off and break their arm. We don't want to go there. But sometimes that happens. Let's focus at what T O E could S could really mean for us. T. Stands for time. And what I mean here is that one to one time to be exact. That it means that. We have to carve out. One-to-one time with your baby and your toddler. That your unplugged. That you're intentional in being present with him that you're following his lead, whether he's cooing or babbling or learning how to rock and crawl forward, whether he's not too sure about eating broccoli or, sweet potatoes or avocado that you're in it with him. Right. And I've talked about these in previous episodes and I'll have links to those previous episodes down in the description here, but. I will continue to encourage all of you. Throughout this whole year. That, that one-to-one time with them is really, really, really important. And it doesn't have to be two hours here, and three hours here, you can carve out your routine, right? There are everyday activities where you can snatch a few minutes here and a few minutes there that can really, really build his attention and his engagement, whether you're changing his dirty diaper washing his hands or his feet after some messy, event or activity, whether you're putting him in the car seat or taking them out of the car seat. That you spend an extra minute, just talking to him about the buccal. Or the car seat is hot, too hot. We can't sit down to hot. Let the car cool off. if you're living in a hot community or if you're feeding. Right. And I know I talk a lot about helping your child build a healthy relationship with food, but some days you're just too busy and it's too hectic and it's hard to really sit down and give those 20 minutes to have the meal together. And you're going to find yourself in those situations. But I want you to always keep in mind to the best of your ability to set the stage. So say. You have to feed him, but you have to get this email out or you have to respond to this text. Or you have to, you know, We clean up a mess that you spilled with the dog or whatever. Drives your attention away. That you can still create a positive vibe so that he can take care of his needs. Sit there safely, right? With your eye on him. And. Give him that, that parasympathetic, that rest and digest so he can eat his meal pleasantly and enjoy it on his own, even though you're supervising, but you're over here doing something critical. Right. Because we want him to be able to extract all the nutrients or get that exploration with the flavors and the tastes and the textures. We want to feed his mind, body and soul literally and figuratively. And it's okay for him to sit and have his snack or his little meal midday by himself as, as you're doing something else. But if you set the stage with love and positivity, Then he could chill. Right? It's important that our little ones learn. How to chill, how to daydream, right. How to look around. Um, how to contemplate life in his two year old perspective, right. He can watch you, And inquire or make a comment about his broccoli. That's all totally fine. And that's. That's important and actually in a future episode, I'm going to talk about the importance of daydreaming and helping your child learn how to sit in boredom right in that white space and be okay with it. Because that's again, in our modern day world. Things are so busy and so rushed and so immediate gratification and, and inundating with our, our poor little brains that. It's hard. That's where we lose our ability to attend and focus and engage. And be at peace, right. So try your best to avoid rushing, rushing, and in increased tension or anxiety. If you're just like shoving here, eat this, eat. This mum has got to do this. Mum has got to do that. You know, set the stage, take a couple of minutes. To introduce whatever you're giving to him. And then. You know, go on about your business. Um, Because he, and, and share with him like, okay, you have to have your snack here. You eat, honey. And mom was going to, do this paperwork or, clean up the mess or right, call somebody or whatever, you know, your to-do list is, and we'll talk more about eating because that's part of our package here today. But snatching those one-to-one times. Whether it's through your everyday experiences or now the second type. Would be more purposeful when you do have. When you have carved out time to play. Or to share a special routine. Or that you are taking a break from everything and you're being present with him to share some music or singing or dancing or whatever your. Direct child time with him. That he's learning so many things, language and rhythm and listening and motor skills and timing and problem solving and creativity and engagement, all of those things through play in routines and, You can think of it as a movement break, right? Maybe you're doing work in between his naps and now you need, you have 20 minutes to play with him and to be purposeful, to be intentional, right. That one-to-one time that all of our kids need. you know, could just be a special reading time, which isn't always meaning that you have to read verbatim. Right. Um, you can use the book as a facilitating tool, right. To enhance their vocabulary, to build animal sounds or to identify things that you say or imitate, teach him pointing, right? Teach him listening skills, all kinds of wonderful, rich communicative. Engaging activities. And remember, and I've talked about this in a previous episode that, that whole anticipation. With highly repetitive books, such as brown bear or where spot or the wheels on the bus. Where they can anticipate what the next line is and fill in the blank and you read it together. So that, that one-on-one time can be. Snatching when you're going about your daily duties, right. Or carving out special time to be really, really engaging and really, really present. Right. And then of course. It is important to have a shared meal, breakfast or dinner with him. As much as possible, and we are going to talk more about that further in this episode, but. keep in mind that he can help from the beginning to the end about the food prep, picking out what he wants to eat between your year to healthy choices. You can teach him concepts. Do you want it warm or do you want it cool. You can teach them, do you want one piece or two? do you want chicken or sausage? then be a part of cleaning up, right? Putting the napkins away in the trash. Pushing in the table, close the cabinet doors, all of these directions that he's doing in real time. Building his language processing skills and being with you. And you can build from. Simple push in the chair to, after you push in the chair, throw away the napkins. That's a pretty long direction, but a two year old can do that if they've had 23 months of practice with you. You know, you can, do all kinds of wonderful activities. Just around that meal. And while you're also teaching them how to chew, how to stab with their fork, how to lick their fingers and then wipe their mouth. Right. All of these. Table manners. And eating skills have to be modeled, have to be. Used in real time, and then they understand how it's. How to implement it. And build from there. Right. So now. The second one for our objectives for 20, 24 would be, oh, there's T for time and O means. Outside. Every day. Everyday possible. How about that? The evidence just continues to increase, um, each and every year talking about how we as human beings, we need sunlight. We need fresh air green tree, Sandy shores. Dirty mud pies, cool creeks, clouds, soft rain, some cold snow, some breezing, all of it. We need to spend more time of our day outside. And you're like, oh, how do I even begin to schedule that? We have to be again, intentional. We have to think about what's the healthiest lifestyle for us. For my baby. And for me and for my entire family, right. We spend too much of our day inside with an air conditioner or forced heating. Artificial lights, blue screens. Everything's regulated. Everything's comfortable. And what the science is indicating as well as just common sense. Let's look around and see how healthy or unhealthy we are that these comfortable environments living styles are making us weaker. Making this more sensitive. Making us fearful, right. It's like, Ooh, I don't want to go outside. It's a little wet. Oh, I don't want to go outside. It's a little cool. What? I don't want to go outside. It's it's it's it's just not perfect. Right. But if we. Are open. To living a healthier lifestyle. to really encourage our children than to not be so uncomfortable with a little dampness or a little cold. Or to have fun, making a snow angel or, Or just two. Explore for a few minutes in the afternoon, right? Perhaps it's a walk to the mailbox or Hey honey, one or two, come out to the garage with me and we can throw this big bag of trash away. Maybe you have created a routine to go outside for 15, 20 minutes before you all fix dinner together. Right. And I've shared this. In a previous episode and I'll have the link down below. I can't remember what number it is, but. if we can create some kind of routine to go outside in that witching hour, somewhere around four. Before we make dinner, That it will help all of us shift gears. to break up the stress of our daily life to get outside a little bit too, to see the sun shift. the research as I said, is getting more and more. Uh, parent we need to make this purposeful. and depending on where you live, you know, we have to adjust according to the season, according to your environment, but. I guarantee that sitting down to dinner or fixing dinner together will be so much more peaceful, so much more engaging if we get to literally. Ooh, shake it all off outside. Right. To run around to maybe catch some bubbles or pull some weeds, like I said, or play tag or leap frog. I remember that as a kid. Or my favorite obstacle courses, you know, There's a lot that you can do with a one-year-old two-year-old or three-year-old. but to get outside is a really good goal for 2024. And these. These three T O E time outside, and then I'll cover the third one. Is easy to measure or they are easy to measure. They're easy to track, right? So the E stands for. Eating together. As much as possible. And I know I've mentioned this in the first one, but. The research on this area is really outstanding. And I talk a lot about needing to support the early eating development, right? As, as linked to oral motor skills and speech and language and attention and human communication and social skills and all of these beautiful things. But as I sat down to, to compile my three favorite objectives for the year. I realized we can easily put these things together, right. To get outside before you fix dinner together. and if you have an early dinner, then you can take a walk after dinner, right. To help with digestion. And you can create your routines depending on the time of the year. Things can shift with daylight savings time, of course. But the remarkable thing is that what research is indicating is that. Sharing meals has been part of our whole human evolution. Yet. Just over these last 20 years or so, because we, this modern life of living inside. We've actually devolved out of the culture of sharing meals and all of the benefits from that. And what the research is suggesting is that the results are that we tend to be sicker and less happy. More isolated. We feel depressed, anxious, and frustrated. What one huge research through Harvard reported that families who eat together on a regular basis. Literally consume significantly more whole foods. Which then increased their overall consumption of essential nutrients. And as a result, Those family units tended to be healthier. Right. They had lower propensity toward. Some of these major diseases. My favorite would be that it also significantly lowered the amounts of all for processed food consumption for that family. And I think that's huge right? In that families that learn how to cook together, that appreciate even simple meals, but from whole foods that they put together. Themselves, they don't go through the drive through. Or they don't go, pre-packaged foods that they, plan the meal together. They put it together, even the simplest, right? Some meatballs and broccoli and sweet potatoes. With a little salt, a little butter, but it's homemade, That we enjoy together because we put it together. Right. And another article from JAMA, pediatrics. said that a minimal of three times a week sharing meals. Could really move that needle. And what that means is that. If you share a minimum of three meals with your whole family. That you could literally change the trajectory of your family's health and overall wellbeing. And so that includes, reducing your chance of obesity or diabetes and eating disorders. So I think by looking at some of these bigger studies, we, in the beginning, when we have babies and toddlers and we're introducing them to our new, healthy lifestyle. That is important to keep in mind what our end goal is. Right. And I'm always sharing what I've learned and what I continue to learn of how to avoid picky eaters because that number also has increased and it's increased in my 30, 35 years of practice. I think because of how we, at least the American culture are pretty quick to go through fast food or food preps, but it's also that we. I think of back in the seventies and eighties where TV dinners were created. at least we shared one screen together, right. And had a meal in our little. Pre-packaged. To me disgusting foods, but. Now we're all on screens, I mean, how many times have you gone to a restaurant and you've seen people. at all kinds of ages, their children. On a screen. And now talking to one another, not talking about themselves or their life or their day or their food or the weather or anything. Right. So I thought toe, Let's go toe to toe and be honest. And yeah, they're going to be critics. There's going to be some people say, well, you know, that's just modern life. That's just how it is. We have to deal with it. Or we could say, yeah, but I could also jump in the driver's seat and navigate. To a healthier lifestyle. because my focus for 2024 is to be more intentional that I picked these three. To time. Right to spend time one to one time, whether they're short, snatches or planned play time. to go outside. You can, combine these things, have a picnic and go outside, and play with some bubbles and then go inside. And, and the picnic can be in your front yard. It doesn't have to be at a park. It doesn't have to be elaborate. You know, I sat down and I really looked at, at all the material that I've shared over the last 18, 20 months, I th I think this is episode 72. And I really want. To be able to show up. And give you Material. That can make a huge difference without reinventing the wheel, right. To go back to the basics, to go back to mother nature, to go back and say, how did we do it 50 years ago? Or a hundred years ago? Right. and yet, how do we embrace some of this modern world? And at the same time, find a healthy balance. you know, I think we have to be mindful and be careful of not over simplifying it at the same time. Looking at reality. With how the family structure has changed, how we raise our children has changed. our perception of what's healthy and what's not healthy. I of. What is, um, Acceptable. Right. And so I think it's important that when I. And putting together material and strategies to help you, I want it to be clear and easy to implement. And I think if we think about the T O E with every day, you could check in with yourself, how much one-to-one time did I have today with my little ones? did we get to go outside? And it could be that you don't have time to go outside and play kickball or. Or tag. But can you take him or her with you when you run to the store? or to sit on the back porch and watch it rain. Right. to make sure that you have that indoor life and then outdoor life. and I'm going to share. Some other research and some great books. For example, this book balanced and barefoot. as you can see, I have all these tabs here. I really love this book and her work. and I'm hoping to schedule her in the first half of the year to come And share some of her insight. She's an occupational therapist that developed this whole. mindset on how kids need to be outside. To really find this internal self-regulation and curiosity and. higher order thinking and it really. Aligns with how I feel how our kids deserve the best of us, so then they can show up the best of themselves. And then, The whole time or I one-to-one, I love this called the power of showing up by Daniel Siegel. It's a beautiful read. And you know, he has several books out. one of which is the whole brain child, which I think many of you have at least heard of in the past, but Uh, like I've said here a lot. Living in this modern world without letting it. Stop us from being the most Present. And, the most natural human that we can be, right. That we show up. With a clear mind, a clear heart. Clear intentions. To help our little ones. Find their way. With some struggle and, and some challenge, but at the same time, to know that they can work through almost anything. And that they're not necessarily. Stuck or limited. Because there. For whatever reason, they're not wired that way. that we can always work through, whether it's becoming a better bicyclist or a better pianist or. You know, a better reader that with practice and would the right. Guidelines and reinforcement, we can always improve. So happy, happy new year, 2024. I'm looking forward to toe, right? To dip your tone as you're ready and as you're comfortable or just to dive in and say, okay, let's do it. let's spend more quality time with one another. Let's get outside every day. And let's develop over time. This eating ritual at home and build a healthy, healthy relationship with food. Because it's all related. thanks for joining me this week and I look forward to more contemplation. All right, God bless. Take care. Bye.