Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2024 - January 2025 i The Green Parent

Welcome to your latest edition of The Green Parent magazine – it's the midwinter edition, with a theme of stillness and slowing down. Inside you can read about a magical, slow birthday ritual, how to create a vision board, the family who moved to Lapland for a greater sense of peace, and going screen-free. It was such a tonic to slow down and get mindful while preparing this edition. The theme inspired me to take my time over each aspect of the magazine. It's definitely given me pause in my daily life too. My five-year-old daughter is often asking me to wait for her and wondering why I have to ‘go so fast.’ I've been working on slowing my pace and carving out more breathing space between her activities. There's…

the Green Parent ONLINE read • connect • share • watch • comment • subscribe We've got a sparkly new website! 1 Expert Guidance: Gain access to a treasure trove of advice and guidance from parenting experts. Whether you're dealing with sleepless nights, picky eating, or home education worries, our expert resources are tailored to support you through every stage of your parenting journey. 2 Community Support: This is a safe space to share stories, ask questions, and get support. There's no judgment. You'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in this wild and wonderful adventure. We're here to cheer you on every step of the way. ‘You'll find comfort in knowing that you're not alone in this wild and wonderful adventure. We're here to cheer you on…

LETS LEARN ABOUT.. The Year of the Snake Chinese New Year, also known as Spring Festival, falls on 29 January. It's the Year of the Snake. Here are some of our favourite books. Dim Sum Palace by X Fang has gorgeous colourful illustrations. Lunar New Year by Amanda Li shows families celebrating around the world. The Great Race by Christopher Corr is the story of the Chinese zodiac. SING TO YOUR TREE There's a wonderful tradition of singing to the apple tree to encourage it to bear fruit in the coming season. Wassailing, or singing to the apple tends to take place around Old Twelfth Night (17 January). We love the Apple Wassail Song, which comes from Somerset. You can find sheet music for it at link. thegreenparent.co.uk/wassail Where to…

inspire READERS’ STORIES “My friend Nicola and I started our business, Sponge Tree, in 2010. We provide nature-based and sustainable creative workshops for families. My personal creative work has always involved working with sustainable creative materials; vintage and recycled yarns and textiles or plant-based fibres; I learned to weave willow baskets about ten years ago. I am plant-obsessive and often use natural berry inks and dyes for Early Year's creative activities. About two years ago, I saw someone on Instagram making lake pigments. I researched the process and then became hooked! The whole thing for me is growing, harvesting, processing and then creating the pigments, a very slow but wonderful practice. Each time I come across a plant I think, can I weave with it or will it make a great…

AFTER BIRTH 3 ways to create a safe, quiet space for baby in the fourth trimester Lorna Phillip is a doula and founder of Black Mamas Birth Village. Follow her @black_mamas_birth_village blackmamasbirthvillage.co.uk “I've been working with families for over 30 years and have a particular love for supporting families through the fourth trimester. It's so special to witness the transformation in new parents as they grow in confidence and fall deeply in love with their newborns. For those that seek a peaceful space after birth, I recommend unplugging the doorbell! Ask for parcels to be left in a safe space or with a neighbour – saves the dog barking at every delivery too! Make your intentions clear in pregnancy or as soon as possible after baby has arrived. Discuss boundaries…

1 PROTEIN POWER Your body uses protein to build and repair skin tissue. We can generally digest and break down between 20-30 grams per sitting. So, a regular eating schedule including protein right foods can aid healing and also balances blood sugar levels. It's easy to just focus on feeding the kids and pick while we cook but this can cause havoc to our gut. Skipping meals can lead to ghrelin spikes and overeating later which then have an effect on your body's natural sleep cycle and ability to heal and repair. Yes we need to rest to heal, but good nutrition and protein are also key. TRY THIS - Try adding a high protein and fibre snack around the time of your afternoon energy dip. Mix this up with a…

the Green Parent LOVES 2024 The Repair Shop For Chester's intergenerational community, what started off as a project fixing broken possessions has turned into its very own version of TV's The Repair Shop, featuring older care village residents and nursery children giving a renewed lease of life to their treasures whilst gaining craftmanship skills and bonding over their newly discovered shared hobby. The collaboration sees the ‘grandfriends’ in their 70s to 90s living at Belong Chester supporting children up to age five to use real tools at the repair workshops including drills, nails and screws, saws and sandpaper on an accessible workbench, specially designed to accommodate residents’ wheelchairs. Ruth Sandbach, nursery manager says, “We started off small, sewing missing buttons, restuffing teddy bears and gluing broken toys and as our…

LAW OF ATTRACTION Joanne Dewberry is a mother and founder of The Networking Ninja. Her daughter was inspired to create her own board last year. joannedewberry.co.uk I love how the physical process of making a vision board helps you to clarify your ideas, thoughts, feelings, goals, and aspirations for the year ahead. Getting all of these out of your brain and keeping them somewhere you can visually see them as inspiration or motivation. Literally, anything goes! Remember this Vision Board is for you. No-one else! I like to make mine in a collage fashion but if you prefer a more rigid structure then go ahead. The more you focus on something, the more likely you'll attract it into your life. It's The Law of Attraction in action. For example, my Vision…

Make Healing Tea Meher Mirza makes herself a ginger tea when she's full of cold. “The heat from the ginger helps slay the germs and the honey soothes my sore throat. This one is a multitasker because it also heals stomach ailments; ginger and cinnamon are particularly helpful in alleviating the symptoms of an upset stomach. You need: 1 tsp ginger root, grated, 1 ½ tsp honey, , 2 cloves, , 1-inch piece cinnamon bark and, 3-inch strip orange peel. Place a cup of water in a pan and bring to a bubbling boil. Next, add in all the ingredients, bring the heat down to low, and let everything steep for about fifteen minutes. Strain into a cup and drink. SUPPORTED FISH Yoga Pose of the Month Supine Matsyasana is a…

Becoming a mother is one of the most rewarding and yet challenging roles. It can often feel like an emotional rollercoaster and so much about ourselves and our identity changes. As we juggle all of the things, from our career, to school and nursery drop offs, holidays, household etc, it can be easy to lose sight of your own needs and goals. As a mother our own beliefs, values and experiences can sometimes cause conflict or cause barriers for how we show up as a parent, the goals we want to work towards and so we feel stuck or repeat the same patterns again and again, without understanding why or knowing how to make changes. This is where becoming your own inner coach can make a difference and is something…

We've all been there… one moment your toddler is happily playing with their favourite toy or painting a picture of a butterfly, and the next they are in the middle of an epic meltdown that makes you question yourself as a parent. Of course, meltdowns are common and very normal for toddlers. Children are constantly learning, and when they are having difficulty navigating their emotions, it can quickly lead to a meltdown or tantrum. A calm corner can be an important tool in helping your little one cope with these big emotions early on. What is a Calm Corner? A calm corner is a designated area that is intentionally prepared as a safe space where children can go to take a break and reset when they are experiencing strong emotions.…

explore Many places are said to have magical properties – they might have conferred good fortune or were protected by animal guardians or supernatural beings. Sometimes treasure lay buried in these sites but huge storms erupted when anyone attempted to dig it up. At certain magical locations strange music could be heard emanating from below the earth, produced either by fairies or by pipers who had long ago become trapped in underground realms. Today, there are locations where miraculous occurrences take place, such as the bleeding yew tree at Nevern or the petrifying well at Knaresborough, and there is, of course, the famous prophecy attached to the ravens at the Tower of London. Here are some of my favourite magical places! Pistyll Rhaeadr, Llanrhaeadr-ymMochnant, Powys Described as one of the…

We're based in South East London, where we benefit from a large and vibrant home-education community. Our children, aged 11, 9, and seven, have never attended school, and we're grateful for the decision to home educate. It has been a wonderful fit for our family, fostering closeness, shared experiences, and growth. We're able to stretch and challenge them at their own pace, exposing them to a rich variety of experiences - from business and entrepreneurship to travel and a diverse network of relationships. I left a teaching career to become self-employed, running my floral design company called AFMENA, and working as a freelance interior decorator, allowing me the flexibility to prioritise family and our home educating journey. My husband is also self-employed, working from home as a graphic designer, which…

MAKING GARLANDS We've collected some beautiful coloured leaves on our slow walks and we've preserved them with a little beeswax, to hang as garlands in the kitchen. BAKING My youngest daughter and I are really into baking bread, using the Dutch oven method – we're experimenting with flavours. Try dark chocolate and orange peel – yum! READING Kids Thrive at Every Size by Jill Castle – it's a valuable look at the eight pillars kids need for a healthy, happy life. MAKING MEDICINE Using birch polypore and turkeytail mushrooms to make tinctures to boost immunity in the winter months.…

inspire INTERVIEW Jessie Harrold is a Canadian doula, coach, author and podcast maker. She embodies the point where science meets heart meets alchemy; data obsessive and research-driven, but with a deep interest in rites, wise women and all things magical and a caring streak deeper than the Grand Canyon. You really should read her books and listen to her podcasts. “I became a doula 17 years ago. I was in a Master's programme, about to graduate, and there was a recession. I thought I ought to have an alternative. I was at a party with a doula, and she said, ‘You should try this’. I didn't know that being a doula wasn't super-lucrative. So, alongside a government policy job doing research, I moonlighted for a number of years working for a…

toddler We are all aware that, since the majority of the world began using smartphones in the late 2000s, the population in the UK has rapidly morphed into a horde of screen-addicts. We stand in the queue at the supermarket: we check our oh-so-important emails. We sit and have coffee with a friend: we scroll social media. Toddlers are sitting in buggies with tablets watching on-demand Paw Patrol. Teens sit in peer groups hunched intently over Minecraft. TikTok. Instagram. X. One quick tap of the finger and you can remind yourself who starred in Brief Encounter; where Timbuktu actually is. We can hardly remember a time before these precious planks of genius graced our open hands. How did we manage? What on earth did we do whilst sitting on the…

F So your child is becoming a teenager, and you're wondering whether you can use peaceful parenting to raise a terrific teen who's responsible, considerate, and shows good judgment, at least most of the time? Yes! In fact, this approach will help you stay more connected with your child, so parenting is easier. You may not feel like you have much influence on your child these days, but teens’ behaviour is highly correlated with the strength of their bonds with their parents. Good relationships between teenagers and their parents, as rated by both, are positively correlated with school success and general happiness as rated by the teen and those around her. By contrast, weak or conflictual parent/teen relationships are correlated with early sexual activity, experimentation with drugs and alcohol, the…

• Improved Wellbeing: By developing your positive and supportive inner coach, you can reduce stress and overwhelm, bringing a sense of calmness and contentment into your life. • Enhanced Resilience: A strong inner coach can help you move forwards from setbacks and challenges with more ease and you will start to notice how you overcome those more difficult times of motherhood with more compassion and kindness towards yourself. • Better Relationships: When you are kind and compassionate towards yourself this reflects in your interactions with others. As you develop your self-awareness and supportive inner coach you will feel more patient, calm and present with those around you. • Personal Growth: Embracing your inner coach allows you to learn about yourself, your needs and wants, and this allows for transformational growth.…

Mindful Meals One of the problems in our daily lives is that many of us rush through the day, with no time for anything, says Leo Babauta, author of zenhabits.net. “When we have time to get a bite to eat, we gobble it down. That leads to stressful, unhealthy living. But with the simple, but powerful act of eating slower, we can begin to reverse that lifestyle immediately. How hard is it? You take smaller bites, you chew each bite slower and longer, and you enjoy your meal longer. It takes a few minutes extra each meal, and yet it can have profound effects. You may have already heard of the Slow Food Movement, started in Italy almost two decades ago to counter the fast food movement (slowfood.org.uk). Eating slowly,…

Sagittarius NOV 22 – DEC 21 With a new moon in your sign, the conditions are ripe for a new beginning of some sort, so use December to think about what you want and then aim to clear out anything which is surplus to requirement. As you end the year, it might be appropriate to consider whether you are utilising your gifts and abilities to their full extent. As Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.” Capricorn DEC 22 – JAN 19 December is the month to look back over the last 12 months and bring to a close anything which has had its time. Clear out anything which you no longer need; there's no point…

inspire READERS’ STORIES “In 2012, I was having a really hard time. I was processing trauma, stuff about my life and beginning the healing process. I was in America with my partner. His mother lived in Tennessee; she was of Cheyenne lineage and worked with First Nation medicine. I'd had my own personal experiences of spirituality, but had never encountered anyone for whom a deep connection to earth, the magic and the medicine is totally normal. It was a profound time, and the start of my medicine path. Since then, my spiritual journey has spiralled, taking many different paths. I hear frequency all the time; I can get uncomfortable if I hold my phone for too long. One day I decided to test if I could hear it outside. I realised…

Making A Yes Space Have you thought about making a ‘yes’ space for your baby or toddler? “A ‘yes’ space is a room or an enclosed area made specifically for the child.” says Kylie D'Alton of howwemontessori.com. “It's a place where the child can feel 100% safe and confident. They can move, touch, and, explore confidently knowing this space is for them and they won't be reprimanded or told ‘no’. Here's how to do it - Use child-size furniture and/or secure furniture to the wall. Consider blocking electrical sockets off. We have put furniture in front of our outlets so they are not accessible. Think about books. We only have board books in our ‘yes’ space, this removes any concerns about tearing (or eating) paper books. If the child chews…

TODDLERS WHO TWITCH Taking part in Big Garden Birdwatch with your toddler is a great way to get him interested in nature, suggests Helen Moffat at rspb.org.uk “Big Garden Birdwatch 2025 is coming on 24-26 January! Register online from mid-December to take part in the world's largest garden wildlife survey. In 2024, over 600,000 people took part – and you could be with them. Taking part couldn't be simpler! You just spend an hour watching the birds in your garden, from your balcony or in your local park, and tell us what you've seen. If you see very few birds or none at all, that's also really useful information for us, so please let us know. Last year, the top five most commonly spotted birds were House Sparrow, Blue Tit, Starling,…

The Power of Multilingual Parenting Yeseira Caro, is a school counsellor, author and mother of two. She lives in Puerto Rico with her family and believes that teaching your child other languages is a gift for life. “In today's globalized world, teaching children other languages is not just a valuable skill; it's a gift that can profoundly shape their lives. As a mother of two young children and a passionate world traveller, I've seen first-hand how learning languages can enhance a child's understanding of the world. Most importantly, it helps to foster cultural awareness and empathy, which can instil a sense of global citizenship and empathy from a young age. Immersing children in diverse languages and cultures not only helps them appreciate the world around them but also deepens their…

The Wild Outside Rachel Ip and Katie Hickey £8.99 Hodder Children's Books I absolutely loved this book. It's gorgeous, the illustrations are so detailed, beautiful and pleasing, the hardback cover features metallic elements which adds a high quality finish. There's quite a lot of text but not much action, this book is more like an encyclopedia of plants, flowers and trees with a bit of story in between. I would absolutely buy it as a gift for a child (perhaps age 5+) who is into exploring the outdoors. Maria S Don't Tickle the Shark Sam Taplin and Ana Martin Larranaga £12.99 Usborne We love the “Don't Tickle…” books, and have the monkey one at home already, so Aelfred got very excited about this one! Though realistically it's intended for younger…

What other names might we know the Wild Creature Mind by? There's been a recent shift in neuroscience which has given us a whole new way of understanding how our minds work, and why we are having this terrible epidemic of anxiety. Our Wild Creature Mind is centred in our right hemisphere with richer links into the body and memory. It uses the left side but is not overtaken by it. It's our true self, our more complete self when we are not captured by thought. When a small child plays for hours without words, they are in Wild Creature Mind. We're there when we dance, or listen to music, or just feel very relaxed. And when we calm right down and listen to our children, openly and with our…

“Where's Mum?” I hear my youngest call, one warm September evening. “She's in the garden watching the bats and listening to the owls,” replies my daughter. This was true, I was indeed in the garden on the last warm evening of the season watching the bats zooming overhead and enjoying the gentle calls of the tawny owls in the woodlands close to my house. But what I was also doing at this magical hour, as the sun was slowly sinking in the sky and the full moon was rising, was more than this. I was decompressing after a long day of parenting, home educating, working and doing all the things that are expected of me every day. I was listening to the sounds of nature, allowing them to soothe my…

Toilet Bombs Lime and Lemongrass £5.49 onlythegoodstuffuk.co.uk “I loved these! They smell great and are really simple to use. Drop one in your toilet bowl, watch it fizz and leave it to do it's work for an hour or two then grab your loo brush to clean around the bowl. They deodorise and disinfect your toilet using only natural ingredients and essential oils. I found leaving overnight gave a deeper clean. The packaging is plasticfree and recyclable” Karen, Leics Eco-Friendly Toilet Bombs from £5 authentichouse.co.uk “I love that these toilet bombs are handmade. I found them really effective and thought that they smelt great. Super simple to use and left the toilet sparkly clean! They come in a recycled paper bag so are plastic-free and not individually wrapped like supermarket…

eat MEET THE CHEF Lucinda Miller shares her favourite recipes perfect for nourishing neurodivergent minds I'd say that the first step in learning to nourish your kids is looking after yourself so that you're strong, calm and resilient, both in the short and long term. As parents supporting complex kids we can become hypervigilant and easily overwhelmed. If you're anything like I was when I first realised my kids needed more input to help with their learning, focus and co-ordination, I went on a mission, and overlooked my own health and wellbeing. This meant I got burnt out and exhausted and exacerbated my own ADHD. When I stood back and started to look after myself I had much more calm energy and mental clarity. For me it began with a warm…