Welcome to the first post of the Grandma’s Magic Pillows blog! With the world going through a global pandemic and our daily lives much different than we ever imagined, I felt the desire to start a blog in which we can connect and talk about some of the issues you are facing as parents. Parents are seeking help, support, and encouragement. With eight grandchildren, I understand a lot of the concerns and issues that parents today face, and through this blog and my Grandma’s Magic Pillows, I hope to help you face them a little bit easier.
A “New Normal” for Families During COVID-19
I know that so many parents struggled over the last few months with dramatic changes in their children’s lives. School came to a screeching halt without any warning, and suddenly you were tasked with either finding daycare at the last minute or keeping your toddlers and pre-school aged children occupied while you worked from home. Parents of school aged children are looking for help as they suddenly became teacher’s aides, trying to figure out how to get all their e-learning goals accomplished while also handling your regular responsibilities. All of this was happening without the normal energy outlets that so many kids have, like sports or scouts or other after school activities. Parents are seeking help and support.
And now it’s summer. That should be easy, right?
Uh…not necessarily.
A New Type of Summer Fun
Summer is a time of fun, sunshine, and outdoor activities. It’s a time for trips to the pool, or beach, or local waterpark. It’s time for fun with friends. For bigger kids, it means running around with the neighborhood kids until the streetlights come on.
Or at least it did before the COVID-19 brought a “new normal” that every single TV commercial seems unwilling to let us forget. Now we are all wondering how we do all those things when we are social distancing and navigating new rules and different phases of opening our local businesses and activities. Moms, grandparents, kids…you’ve been through a lot this year! Parents are looking for help as they navigate new waters.
Teaching Kids about Meditation
Some children are exposed to the news directly or hear adults talking about current events to each other. Others simply pick up on the stress and energy from their parents. No matter how they are getting their information, kids have the idea that this is an unusual, scary time in our lives. When introducing something new, parents are seeking help and support.
Fortunately, children can learn how to take a break and rest their minds at a very young age. So many adults struggle to do this, so it is a gift to kids to teach them this concept when they are young. Taking a break to block out external stimuli is something that can benefit their health. In fact, according to an article in Forbes magazine, when children practice mindfulness and take time to meditate, they experience increased attention spans, better performance in school, better mental health, and improved social-emotional development.
Using Grandma’s Magic Eye Pillows this Summer
This summer, I invite you to use your Grandma’s Magic Eye Pillows and schedule a time each day for you and your child to take a break from your day. You can do this together or as an entire family. Start by turning off the lights and lying down in a comfortable spot in your home, either on the floor or a piece of furniture. Set a timer for two minutes and lie on your back with your arms resting comfortably next to you. You can hold hands if you like and block out distractions for a few minutes.
After a few weeks, your children will probably start to look forward to this break in their day. My grandkids ask to use them and have even shared them with their friends. I hope that this will add a little bit of calm and normalcy to a different way of spending summer together in your home with your family.