"Wow, here we are. Still. Many of us limiting contact and to flatten the curve of COVID-19. Meanwhile, bees are buzzing, trees are flowering, and squirrels are mingling all around us. It feels strange and incongruous to be so out of sync with the natural world. Our sweet kiddos are feeling this discord big time, and, for some, it's manifesting as behavior challenges, sleep disruptions, and feelings of sadness.
This feeling of dissonance makes sense, right? At a time when we should be coming out of our winter shells, we are instead prolonging our proverbial winter slumbers, and it can feel downright suffocating. In Chinese Five Element Medicine, springtime is known as the Wood phase. Each season corresponds to a different one of the five elements (Earth, Metal, Water, Wood, and Fire) - if you've read my previous blog post on ADHD, you know that the Five Elements are also a framework for classifying personality types as well. In nature, the Wood phase is all about growth, movement, and starting anew, and the natural world all around many of us is doing just that! We are part of that natural cycle, and yet we are having to suppress those "Wood" urges right now.
For kids, this feels especially yucky. It is stagnating and you might be noticing a lot of pent-up energy in your little ones right now. Because kiddos are still developing, when they fall out of sync with natural rhythms, they are often much more effected than we as adults might be. Their little bodies are still developing these rhythms and patterns, and a disruption can feel really disorienting.
So, what are we going to do?
Well, one proven way for little ones to feel more calm, more integrated, and happier is to engage in PLAY! We now have research to back up that play helps to facilitate learning, lowers cortisol levels, and gives kiddos the chance to practice life skills. 1 Plus, it's super fun!"
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