Month: February 2025

It’s important to for families get the work/ life balance right. But most working families will agree -this is easier said than done – especially in these stressful times.

Many working parents feel that they have to compromise one to be successful in the other. But we don’t believe that has to be the case. We asked our parents to share tips from their own experience on getting the work-life balance right.

Here are some of their suggestions

1.) Be kind to yourself – accept that there are times where you won’t be able to do everything to the best of your ability but tell yourself that you are still doing a pretty good job. If you are happy, your family and work colleagues will also be happier! – Phillippa Lawson

2.) When you get your family time don’t feel like you have to take your children out to show them you care. Just being together is the most important thing. If you have housework, getting the kids involved can be fun, a dusting cloth each or sorting the socks then playing sock basket ball into the right drawers. – Julia Bryant

Here are some further ideas from Relax Kids:

3.) For every hour of overtime you do at work, promise yourself the same time spent with your family. Spend an hour painting, baking, taking a long walk together.

4.) If you’re late home from work, as a treat, decorate a pizza together for dinner or bake cookies together for dessert!

5.) Make your children or partner some cuddle tokens. It’s not always easy to tell when family members are feeling a bit neglected; they might not want to say anything or make you feel bad if they know you’re busy at work. Cuddle vouchers give family members an easy way to let you know when they want to spend some extra time with you. Give them 5, 10 and 15 minutes or half an hour tokens.

If you’re looking for some very quick brain breaks and mind hacks to help you take regular pauses, sign up to The Break.Receive a weekly email every Monday morning with 30 second tips and ideas to stop, pause and feel calm. 

St Michael’s Church of England primary in Wolverhampton has begun teaching a programme to help children manage emotions, following investment from the West Midlands Violence Reduction.

This is such amazing news and it makes total sense to help older children to support others.

They feel a sense of responsibility
They feel a sense of pride
They feel valued and respected
They feel they want to make a difference in their community.

Relax Kids ran a programme in one school where we trained children to be mini Relax Kids coach and ran the relaxation classes. It gave teachers a break and gave the mini coaches such a sense of responsibility. Children were kinder to each other and bullying reduced.

Relax Kids coach Shar Simpson has been running a similar programme in Huddersfield funded by Youth Justice system to teach teens valuable relaxation skills with an aim to reduce knife crime. Amazing results.

Hope to see more projects like these in the future.
Is anyone else doing similar projects?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c04z9xwrp40o

#bbc #mentalhealth #schools #violencereduction #manageemotions #teachers #education

How much do we love our job?

We spend so long at work and often see our work collegues more than our families, so we want to check that it is filling us full of joy and not dread as dreading Mondays really are not good for the soul.

This Wednesday evening 8pm Uk time, I will be running a free LOVE YOUR JOB LOVE YOUR LIFE workshop (with a creative workbook) and sharing tips on how we can bring that spark of passion to our work, cultivate a sense of purpose, align our work with our values, and find joy our contributions and mini moments.

The session is free – Here is the sign up link and workbook. – https://relaxkids.com/wellbeing_workshops_lyj

I would love to see you there if you can spare the time. There will be some fun exercises, self-enquiry, journalling and of course – if you know me lots of CREATIVITY.

#workjoy #passionatwork #careergoals #motivation #worklife #happinessatwork #careerdevelopment #positiveworkplace #selfimprovement #findyourjoy

The full moon is often linked to heightened emotions and altered sleep patterns. Children often struggle with sleep and emotions can be heightened. 

Dispite the negative affects on our sleep and emotional sensitivities, the full moon does give us an opportunity for introspection and self-care.

You can ponder the questions, or even journal or create some art around them. Some people have a moon journal and use the questions to help them focus on their goals and dreams.

February 12th brings the Full Moon in Leo, a time for self-expression, setting goals, and showcasing your talents.

This is a good time for self-expression, setting goals, and showcasing talents.

Here are some questions to think about during this Full Moon time. 

What areas of my life require me to shine brighter and express myself more authentically? (Leo energy encourages self-expression and individuality.)   

How can I cultivate more joy and playfulness in my daily life? (Leo is associated with creativity, fun, and childlike wonder.)   

What fears or insecurities are preventing me from stepping into my personal power? (The full moon shines a light on what we hide, giving us an opportunity to address limiting beliefs.)

Where can I step into a leadership role and inspire others?

Let’s use this Leo Full Moon to shine brightly!

I hope you can make a few minutes to think about these questions which will help you make the most out of the Full Moon.

Happy Full Moon

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I started Relax Kids in 2000, but 20 years ago this month, I started something  that would shape my life and the lives of so many children. 

On 05/02/2005, I did my very first Relax Kids training at The Kings Fund in London. 

I remember being SO nervous, I couldn’t eat breakfast that morning. I was worried that what I’d worked on for the last 3 years wasn’t enough. 
I’d spent the last 2 years wroting and rewroting the training manual.  This was in the days of dial up internet, google searches or Ai to make life easy. I only had my experience, creativity and imagination to rely on. That first training manual was written long hand and then typed up with quite a few mistakes. It wasn’t perfect…but it was a start!

I can still see the room with blue carpets and chairs now. I remember the first five trainees (one of which was my best friend Lyn who came to support). 
I can still remember that moment I started with a slight shake in my voice, but as soon as we started, I could see how the programme sparked something special in each one of those in the room. They seemed to light up and I’ve noticed how over the years after training more than 10,000 people just get how this simple, simple system can make such a profound difference to children.

It has been such a wonder to see how this simple system has supported the work of so many teachers, social workers, mental health workers and now Family Hub workers.
The core of Relax Kids training revolves around helping children recognise what makes them unique and special. In a world that often emphasises competition and comparison, teaching children to appreciate their individuality is crucial. Through our unique 7-step system, we empower children to manage their mental health effectively by giving them simple tools that they can use. Seeing them grow in confidence and resilience has been one of the most rewarding aspects of this journey.

Reflecting on the past 20 years, I am filled with gratitude for the incredible community that has formed around this mission. The stories of transformation and healing that I’ve witnessed are the fuel that keeps my passion alive. I’ve seen children who have not been able to talk for anxiety, start opening up after Relax Kids sessions, children who have had such low self-esteem, building confidence to do things they love.

Thank you to every child, every parent, every teacher, every member of staff and everyone who has been part of this journey. 

Here’s to the next 20 years of passion, growth, and making a positive impact on children’s lives – TOGETHER!