This is what happens when my daughter cuts my hair

You might have noticed I have a bit of a head of hair. I have to admit, I’ve always liked my hair, it’s full, it’s easy to manage, and as long as I don’t go too creative (I once layered, it was a disaster) it is friendly.

In fact, I’ll let you into a secret... I usually only cut it once a year.

Maybe longer.

I love going to a salon, but it’s one of those things I just never do. Another little fact you might not know about me is that I don’t drive.

Yeah, crazy... I know.

But when I was 16 I lived in downtown Montreal. There was no way I’d learn how to drive there and public transport was a good friend. Then I moved again and was in University, I didn’t want to spend the money to learn when I was studying... and then inspiration led me to my husband and he drove... I got to hold his hand... why would I learn then?

Also learning in the UK, well that sounded complicated. Then I had babies, I’d learn later on, when I wasn’t distracted easily... and so on, and so on. Now... well did I mention I get to hold his hand?

So if I want to get my haircut it turns into a big family venture. Arranging when to go, what everyone is doing while it’s done. It’s not worth it at the moment. It just never happens.

Well, I hit my year and a half point a few weeks ago. My bob had turned long... my ponytail was shabby. It was being uncooperative. It was time for the chop.

So, after our son was in bed (because I draw the line at a 7-year-old barber) I went into my girls’ room with scissors, and asked “Who’s up for it?”

Now I’d done this once before when they were younger... and it had gone fairly well. But then I’d been hesitant about my younger girl doing it. She wasn’t feeling very secure at the time, very focused... so I was a little nervous. However this time around when she asked if she could do it; I knew it was just what she needed.

You see, our second daughter, who’s only 10 months younger than her sister, still has often suffered from middle child insecurities. She’s sensitive and her sister usually hits milestones first. However, I’ve been watching her break free of that over this past year and it excites me. So, I handed the scissors over with ceremony. She was a little nervous, but you should have seen her face when it turned out perfectly even.

Sometimes, offering a little bit of trust mixed in with vulnerability is what our children need from us. When we show up and say “go for it.” And hand over the keys (Hahaha.... what will that day be like if I still haven’t learnt how to drive by then?) or the scissors.

Our girl who always wanted to be little is growing up, and by making that space for her to make mistakes, and then succeed, she is creating her place in this world, with certainty and self-knowledge.

This new year, I ordered the Shining Life and Biz workbooks from Leonie Dawson. Now if you haven’t heard of Leonie, you really should check her out. She’s an artist, author, a mother, and life coach who has put together an academy and these books to unleash each individual’s creativity and sense of self. She’s awesome... and a self-proclaimed Kooky Lady! Anyway, I bought myself the kit and the moment they arrived I knew my daughter should have the life book too. Our eldest didn’t want it, the kookiness didn’t speak to her soul so we got an affirmation colouring book for her instead, but our second daughter is lit up from the inside whenever she opens up the pages and colours in some of the suggested passions, interests or pursuits. It has asked her some self-defining questions and really made her question her goals, interests and her own spiritual connection. At 13, she’s becoming focused as who she is and how she wants to show up in the world.

Together, we’ve started filling in our workbooks and just spending some time together doing soul work. Yeah, we’ve done it before as you know from the Spiritual Kids course, but that was when she was a bit younger. Now she was ready for something a little different... something she doesn’t even show me.

We just sit there together.

So, what happens when I let my daughters cut my hair? It helps us both show up and shine. It creates self-confidence and fun. It reminds her that I trust her, that hair is just hair and grows so there’s little risk (my view anyway, definitely not a lot of women’s, I know) and that life is in the focus and the moment.

Happy New Year everyone!

Spiritual Kids... the E-course. What is it?

Do you have questions about Spiritual Kids, the e-course.

 I hate to sound salesy, I want to make sure you know about it. Especially in the recent survey a huge

proportion of you mentioned you were considering participating in the course in the New Year.

So, here’s some answers to some questions you may have.

How long of time do I have access to the course?

The enrollment is a lifetime access. You can download everything from the school platform so you can have it with you without internet access, or view it from the platform at anytime.

What age is the course exercises for?

I have 3-13 as my guideline, but it depends. Some stories and poems you may find better for the younger age, but then the journal prompts and emotional awareness exercises suit older than 13. There’s also the option of making some activities more complex, if some crafts  call for a kleenex box for younger children, it could be crafted with a more permanent crafting solution, like woodworking or oil paints  for older ages.

Saying that, I’ve done most of the exercises myself, so it’s all relative and adaptable.

How does it work?

The course is a collection of video lessons, breaking down the lesson concept (Part 1 invitation, Part 2 Spirit, Part 3 Meditation, Part 4 Emotions, Part 5 Appreciation Part 6 The Law of Attraction), and how to absorb it into your daily life. The exercises, MP3s and journal prompts then provide you with tools to bring the concept into your family’s foundation. The first part is designed to help you find your core beliefs that you want to pass on, this isn’t certain things being taught, rather a process of you feeling secure in your own beliefs and letting them radiate out as well as your child having tools and activities to explore their own feelings and beliefs.

What results will I see?

The interesting thing about consciously inviting Spirit into your home is you really don’t know what’s going to be created. From simple connection between you and your children, to them opening up to questions about spirit, to witnessing the law of attraction in your child’s day and lightly talking about it, there are millions of ways spirit shows up. Saying that, I feel that with this course, you will feel more confident that you are providing spiritual foundations within your home. You will feel more secure in what you believe, what you radiate and what you pass on to your children. Your family will feel lighter and easy going about spiritual concepts, and using meditation and spiritual tools will gradually become a way of life rather than a big deal. It won’t feel contrived or foreign anymore.

Now saying that, every family is different and spirit shows up differently for everyone. My lawyers would have a fit if I started making generalized guarantees, but so far, that’s the response I’m getting from the course’s participants anyway. (We have a private group for the course if anyone wants to disagree!)

Actually, if it helps... here’s what people are saying about Spiritual Kids:

Christina Fletcher's Course empowers parents to tap into what's already found within but may still be untouched.
Through meditations, crafts, journaling prompts and downloadable guides full of nuggets of wisdom she has put together an easy to follow course perfect for parents who are choosing to parent from an awakened state. She brilliantly teaches you how go within and enhance your parenting by learning new spiritual tools and applying them to your parenting.
This is a course you can listen to over and over again and absorb something new.
A perfect addition to your conscious parenting toolbox!
Carol Lawrence & Stacy Toten IntentionalConsciousParenting.Com

I cannot find the words to describe my body's responses. (to Spiritual Kids) ..pure sparkly delight! You have done an amazing job, Christina.... (The course) warmed my heart and I believe that any parent who truly intends to lift the energy of their family to a highly vibration will be inspired by this course...You have brilliantly woven Abraham's teachings throughout the entire course.... my own vibration is raised, just reading through it. Go for it!!!

~ Sandi Schwartz-
Author of Authentic Parenting Power and Coach at Leading Edge Parenting

"This will be a course I experience again and again. I know I will grow and get something new out of it each time.
This course is called "Spiritual Kids", I realised that I am a "kid" when it comes to being spiritually aware, so I did all the exercises myself and learned so much about coming back to being ME.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity, the tools and the little push I needed to invite spirit into my life and show me my path.!"

~ Course participant of Spiritual Kids

Ok, I’m done. Phew.

I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud of something as this course, and I’m sorry for shouting it from the rooftops so often. I just would have loved it when I started out on this journey and I think you will too, and I want you to have it for the best price possible.

It could even be passed on as a gift!

Ok, Now I’m done.

Love and light always,

3 Steps to Trigger Mindfulness

Last week I was being interviewed on Katie Flores Get Happy Project and we were talking on the subject of mindfulness. An interesting point came up which I wanted to officially clear up here.

It’s not always easy... and once you get it.. you won’t always do it... and that’s alright.

As many of you know, I offer a free guide on my site, and here on this blog, called How to Push the Reset Button... it’s basically 4 (ok... spoilers... 5!) easy steps to find your connection in chaos.

It’s a simple process on paper. But not necessarily in practice. From a space of calm, logging off, letting go, listening, and loving.. it all sounds logical and natural.

However, throw yourself in the middle of a 2 year old tantrum when you are running late already.

It’s a bit like telling someone swimming is a breeze in the middle of a storm.

Our natural state is to be balanced, grounded and spiritually aware. But tempers rise when we are feeling unlike ourselves... when we are in an un-natural feeling space... so although the process of pushing the reset button is there to provide steps to get you back to yourself... You have to find the reminder to use them in the first place.

Imagine a gap between you as your greater version of you; The bigger than this body you.

And the physical experience as You.

The physical experience has the temper, the reactions, the “I’m going to panic” “I’m overwhelmed” “Can’t stop from flipping” experiences (as well as the good stuff... don’t forget the good stuff)

In a positive experience, positive emotion, the gap between the dual versions of you is really small, you experience the joy together.... as positive spirit, the greater version of you is happy to be by your side.

But then a stressful experience occurs... or your thoughts start chattering with a negative focus.

Spirit says... sorry... no can do. I can’t go there with you.

And the gap widens.

The trick is to remember the gap. (Mind the Gap... gives trips on the London Tube a very different meaning!)

For when you find yourself surrounded in chaos, and you remember the gap, that’s when you can find your way back to the fuller YOU, you push the reset button, you find new focus, you go to your inner room and you laugh. Does that make sense?

But how to remember the gap????

Here’s my top 3 big Flashing Red Lights you can put in place.

1)      A physical representation of yourself... something that every time you see or hear, or touch you feel connected to your fullest version of yourself. A piece of jewelry, a crystal in your pocket, a token from your children or from a spiritual journey... anything that upon sight you remember yourself and within that... remember the gap. I once knew someone who actually made a picture of what made her feel awesome and put it as the lock screen on her phone... Depending how much you use your cell... that’s awesome!

2)      The sky. Looking upward immediately reminds us to connect to something so much larger than our own experience... and in that larger universe we find the larger version of ourselves. Mountains, fields, trees can do the same. I have my moon. She has been kind and kept me connected even through my son’s birth.

3)      A mantra, or affirmational phrase... or tune. Om... humming... or something like “I am more than this experience” or “within me lies my own happiness and light.” When repeated often, or trained to be a regular focus, this can become a habitual state of being... so habitual, that when we disconnect, and get stressed, we can feel the shift more strongly, and then consciously guide ourselves back.

It may be a logical statement to ask how these reminders can remind us to connect, if we have to remember to do the reminders! But the thing is that these simple steps can easily be worked into life, even when you  are feeling wonderfully, exhilaratingly like yourself. When you find the little tokens of motions that symbolize you as everything you are, it feels amazing to practice them, sing them, play with them, focus on them. It raises life up to the point that when you aren’t in the space of doing them, you feel disconnection so intensely and that’s that little reset button push.

Awareness to how you feel is truly where it’s all at.. and the feeling of being mindful to Who You Really Are... ohhh... it’s a blissful state of infinite possibilities.

If you haven’t gotten your free copy of the guide, you can find it over here.

Mindfulness and Running on Empty

You want to know something really funny.

As someone who will be talking about mindfulness in parenting in the upcoming Get Happy Project (Which you should definitely sign up for!) ... as someone who coaches parents about mindful parenting and someone who writes, eats, sleeps, and parents... with mindfulness as a foundational philosophy....

I’ve rarely written about it on this blog. Sigh.

Life can be funny sometimes.

So, let’s talk about it here and now. What is mindfulness or does it go deeper than that?

There are so many ways I feel can describe a mindful living... or an aware living.

Living in awareness to Who We Really Are, allows us to bump our mindful practices up in the list of priorities. Being aware of who we are, is like knowing that there is this phenomenal room, a place of quiet, peace and a sense of everything we are, that when we enter it we know we will be refueled and refreshed.

It could also be described as the inner gas station.

If you are aware that there’s as gas station down the street, and you start to run out of petrol... you won’t hesitate in fueling up.

Self awareness, mindfulness is the process of filling up your tank or of retreating to your inner room so you can continue through your day as your truest self. It helps create patience, clarity, relief and joy.

But it also creates the space where you can feel the stress, acknowledge the tension and sense of overwhelment, and shift it around. Spiritual awareness and mindfulness don’t automatically create a happier existence rather it puts you back in the driver’s seat capable of putting focus on feeling better and finding calm, happiness and perspective.

So, what are some techniques for mindfulness? Well, first of all, finding the sense of awareness.

Awareness begins by simply observing yourself and learning who you are. What triggers your stress, what jumps you into appreciation, who are you when your eyes are closed and life quiets for a moment...

Meditation is about setting the stage for that observation.

Life is hectic, and fast and throw children and chores on top of it all and our heads can go, we spin out of control as we attempt to listen to everyone, play, organize, drive, and keep things flowing. We feel energies deplete and focus scatter... if we are aware enough to know how it feels.

Three simple steps to get started are;

Close your eyes.

 Breathe Deeply. 

Let the energy fall from your tense head, down through your body to your feet.

Repeat.

You become yourself... fully you. Mindful of you. Drawing yourself into the moment and becoming present.

And now, you can continue through the day. Simply by stopping like this, you are telling your true self “I know you are there. What would you do?” You are acknowledging your own mindfulness.

Mindful practice ranges in so many ways; from this sort of observation, to watching a sunset... or a sunrise, to a sitting meditation for a few moments, to a walking meditation, to dancing or singing, or shifting focus to a garden, music, or coloring... anything that achieves a space where you can be yourself and retreat to the inner room within your spiritual self. It is the key to your inner room, and from there, life flows more, solutions click into place and we perceive our children’s own inner workings with so much more clarity.

There is a golden moment when we drop into a space of ourselves. When we connect to our deeper source, our sense of divine and understand it to be a truer sense of ourselves and when that truer sense is driving the car of our family, we know we are all in safer hands and will go further...

Than if we hadn’t stopped to fuel up.

It’s not about having time or not. It’s not about bothering. Rather it’s about forming a habit like eating healthier to give your body energy, you are doing a spirit check to give your soul energy.

This is the foundational belief of mindful parenting... and Spiritual Aware Parenting.

And yes, sometimes we forget to fuel up. Sometimes we get stressed and run out of gas somewhere between overwhelmed and flipping out.

But if we’ve practiced the awareness of how we like to feel and how it feels to be Who We Really Are... we remember...

And we call ourselves back to ourselves, one breath at a time.

By the way... The Get Happy Project is going to be an incredible online summit, with guests specializing in a range of self care techniques and trainings. Definitely sign up and I'll see you there! :) 

Between Plans you find Help

So here’s the thing.

I was writing a little post... um ok, a rather long post... on sensitive children and tapping into their deeper essence, while offering tools for awareness to them... and then my computer had an issue and needed to restart. Post was lost. Yeah, sometimes I’m bad at saving drafts.

So, when I restarted and realized the post was no where I was faced with two options. Go back and re-type, or chalk it up as Someone telling me, the piece wasn’t working.

The piece wasn’t working. The ideas were there, the words were not. It’s been a bit of a week, with a son having some teeth issues and life being a little on the weird side. The writing spirits weren’t flowing and I knew it as I tried to plow on.

When it crashed there was a sense of relief. Now I can write inspired from something right here, right now.

Bloggers will tell you to plan a bit ahead. But most parents know, life is what happens between plans and that’s just the way it should be.

So, today, let’s talk about if something ain’t working, try a different angle.

And if you can’t fix it, open up to a solution.

It might have been just a blogpost, but really lately I’ve been consciously aware of how openness to life creates new opportunities in every direction and resistance, or pushing on something, is more prevalent than we think, and in the openness more examples are presenting themselves.

But the more we focus, push, try and force something into existence, the more we are screaming to the universe “I NEED THIS NOW!” And we all know how hard it is to give something to a whiny child. For some reason, when a child whines, we want to do the opposite to what they want.

Well, the universe feels the same. In fact, because we are screaming we NEED this or that... that’s what the universe hears “NEED”. So that’s what the universe gives. We just keep on needing it.

So, when things aren’t working, our spirit gets all cramped up and tries to send up a little nudge with the feeling of tension or stress. “stop,” she whispers “this isn’t the way.”

As we push forward, oozing the work out of ourselves like toothpaste from the tube, spirit sighs, and whispers “I’ll wait over here. Where it feels good.”

When we turn our attention from what’s giving us that hassle, when we stop the forcing, searching, stressing, worrying or simply needing, and focus instead on Openness, Spirit jumps up and says... “Now we can flow.”

When we feel better and release, we can rely on “fairy help” as one FB group member called it. The universal powers jump in behind us and say, “we’ve got you covered.”

And because we’re not focused on Need... we’re focused on Openness, freedom and presence,

We have an open window for solutions to flow in.

So, where does this come in with parenting?

Everywhere.

From sleepless nights to breastfeeding issues. From children getting into trouble to a messy house. To children taking parents for granted or teenagers worrying us sick.

Truly, we push buttons of NEED all over the place. The minute we stop, the other penny drops and solutions become focused.

We just have to remember it at each overwhelming time, each stressful moment.

Pressure and stress are our spirit’s way of saying “I can’t go there.”

Ironically the hardest part is the letting go. We are programmed to want to fix things and the more we want or try, the less we can.

It’s in the space of letting go that in-spirit-ation strikes and we suddenly feel a pull to the right action.

We struggle, flapping against the water as we feel ourselves sinking, but in the moment of floating and a bit of space, we are lifted and carried to shore.

Or we find that we were drowning in about an inch of water and we can stand up with ease.

Fairy help, universal flow, angels, Source. We can be problem focused or solution allowing.

THE ART KIT- a review

Sometimes things just line up.

My daughters have been wanting to improve their art techniques. I’ve been wanting to improve their art education. And then there’s boy-o. He suddenly LOVES art, so that needs encouraging and new supplies. Well, I didn’t even know that we were focusing in that direction, but when I heard about the Art Kit and was suddenly, seamlessly doing a review of one of the kits, it was obvious the Universe knows what its doing.

The shrieks of “THE ART KIT” coming from the children when it arrived was only topped by the “Ohs and Ahs” when they opened the box.

It suddenly made sense for a kit that is about ART to be beautiful. This taught me a lot about Art as an experience, just opening the box.

With Tissue paper and lots of shredded purple and white stripes of naturally dyed heavy stock paper, the children enthusiastically unwrapped each, paperbag wrapped item. And what beautifully chose items.

The Art Kit isn’t just about Making Art, this is about art appreciation and experience.

When you subscribe, each month your child receives a box like one of these, and each box has its own theme. Our box was themed with Georges Seurat’s A Sunday on La Grande Jette painting.

In our box of wonders was a Puzzle, sticker books (with reusable stickers), natural paint sachets wit circle sponges to imitate Seurat’s circle techniques, circle stickers to do a circle (dotted) painting, a book about George Seurat and various Art Kit Pencils and heavy stock paper and  accessories.

As we have three children, we had the kit and two more sibling add-ons, basically providing each child with their own supplies for the crafts, but sharing the puzzle and the book. It worked perfectly.

The experience of this kit, and art itself, has been very well thought out. Each item helps you experience the painting a little deeper from different angles. As a homeschooler I found it balanced, as with three children, all different ages and learning types, I was surprised how all three were interested. I would possibly say the kit would work best for the 7-11 age range, as I watched my children work through it, but all three were well occupied and I can tell came out of it looking at art in a different light.

One thing I will point out. Although it’s called The ART KIT, this isn’t what we perceive as an art kit. It is a Kit ABOUT ART (I like how when I explained this to my family they all did a unison “OHHH” and agreed from that perspective it was a masterpiece in itself. Think of it as art education for children in a box, a box that has lots of ways for them to get into a technique, an artist and a piece with all their senses.

It reminds us all that art is an experience and from the moment The Art Kit arrives at the door, you and your children will be enjoying the ride.

Now... all I have to do to top the experience off is find a copy of Sunday in the Park with George by Sondheim  so the children can have some follow up to these wonderful projects!

Now here’s one of my daughters reviews;

I love the way that the art kit is packaged so carefully and beautifully. It’s really inspiring.

The Make-a- masterpiece sticker book helped me learn a lot about the painting. I love how this kit is so freely put together. The puzzle was a bit easy for me, but that is a good thing because it meant my brother was interested in doing it. I love the way the paints slide over the paper. I never would have thought that natural paints would be that bright.

My son... he gave it a zillion stars out of 5.

Check out www.theartkit.com for more information!