“Calm down.”
”You’re okay.”
”Please stop crying.”

and it would inevitably make the situation worse.

Maybe you’ve been there before… The moment is tense, but the problem isn’t. I try and be a calm parent myself, but sometimes my child is melting down over a banana falling apart and I don’t want to make a big deal about it. Other times it’s the sheer sound of a tantrum that sends tension up my spine and I cannot think clearly until it gets quiet again. When my toddler starts to meltdown, I start to heat up, and suddenly I’m in charge of navigating everyone’s emotions at once.

I thought I was failing as a mom because my toddler had big emotions and I couldn’t control them. If there was a solution, I had to find it. Then I learned about a Calm Corner and how to use it as a safe space for big emotions to land.

✨Shop our Calm Corner Kit Here✨

“Motherhood is not about stopping tears—it’s about showing that calm can follow them.” — Sarah Ockwell-Smith

The Brain on Big Emotions

A child’s brain is growing at a rapid rate between birth to age five, but not every part of it grows at the same pace. As noted by the Family Resource Center, “One of the last parts of the brain to fully develop is the prefrontal cortex—the part that helps with self-control, problem-solving, and understanding consequences. That means young children feel big emotions long before they have the tools to manage them.”

Understanding how and why this happens helps alleviate some of our expectations as parents. Sleep and nutrition are incredibly important for this development, and relationships within a nurturing environment act as protective factors that support positive personality development, as explained by Simply Psychology.

Put simply:
The bigger the feeling, the less access your child has to control it.

They need us to guide them back to calm in a way that brings connection not correction. This is why play and tools like a Calm Corner are so effective.

Why Play Works When Nothing Else Does

I no longer believe most toddler behavior is rebellion.
I believe it’s miscommunication.

When I began using a Calm Corner to help redirect emotions, I noticed something beautiful: play became the bridge between overwhelm and understanding. It created a way of communicating in the language my toddler actually understood. To me, as an adult, play doesn’t naturally feel like the logical next step. But to a child, it’s as natural as breathing. Through play, we can identify emotions and choose an activity that brings calm to the chaos.

How To Use a Calm Corner

So what is this magical Calm Corner I keep speaking of?

Imagine a space where your child can go when emotions run high, and where they learn to pause, breathe, and regulate their feelings. This is a Calm Corner.

I created one for both my girls when they were growing up and last month I created one for my son. I drew on lessons I learned from my early childhood education days, and it has worked so well for us. I no longer have to expend all my energy trying to regulate both his emotions and my own. The Calm Corner does some of that work for us.

When emotions are running high, I either carry him or we walk together to the Calm Corner in his room to snuggle in and connect. We use Breathing Tracks and Emotions Posters to direct our attention outward and build language around feelings. Together, we practice calming techniques, read books, sing songs, or explore a few activities designed to help us find peace again. All feelings are welcome and the Calm Corner is a little refuge for them. It teaches your child HOW to calm down, not just that they should.

Want to create your own Calm Corner?

I’ve created an all-in-one Calm Corner Kit with posters, breath work practices, calming activities, and a parent guide to help you get started! It LAUNCHES TODAY!

Use Code: LAUNCH to get 25% off + 3 FREE coloring pages
to celebrate launch week!

More Joy Of:

❁ Why Discipline Isn’t Working and what we are missing

❁ This tiny ritual helps reset my whole day One habit I keep coming back to.

❁ The Toys That Made the Cut (after letting go of half our playroom)

☕︎ Read more joyful articles here

♡ Find me on Instagram here

✏︎ Shop kids activities here

He kicks me again. He’s not getting it.

The clock is ticking away all of my options for discipline. I can’t let him go out without shoes, we don’t have time for a time out, and redirection went out the door long before we could. What do I have left?

If discipline worked the way we were told it would, parenting wouldn’t feel this exhausting. You’d set a boundary. Your child would respond. Everyone would move on as they should.

Instead, many of us are stuck in this loop:
warning > consequence > meltdown > guilt > repeat

Why It Feels Like a Power Struggle

If you strip parenting advice down to its core, most of it promises the same thing:
do this and your child will then do that.

So when you start applying the principles you’ve read, and it still feels like your child isn’t responding like you expected, it can be confusing. You start questioning your own abilities as a parent, “Why does it feel like someone has to win for us to move on?”

Most power struggles are ignited around movement.

Getting out the door
Turning off a show
Leaving the park
Starting bedtime

These transitions require a child to let go of something and follow an adult’s expectations. That’s a big request for a little person.

The Promise of Discipline and Why It Falls Apart

Many millenial parents grew up with authoritative parents. We’d hear phrases like, “You do it because I said so” and “You get what you get and you don’t pitch a fit” and would be awarded for being seen but not heard. This demand for obedience starts to fall apart when the child discovers their parent isn’t always right. The parent has built a relationship on being the ultimate form of control, but as the child develops their own critical thinking skills they see control as a lack of connection.

This made way for gentle parenting to arrive and thrive.

Suddenly, connection becomes the hero to help direct children’s behavior. At its core, gentle parenting focuses on the parent understanding their child’s behavior and offering them an emotional net of support. Many parents, especially those healing from strong authoritative figures, find this approach deeply meaningful. On paper it creates a strong connection and mutual respect. In reality, it places enormous responsibility on the parent’s nervous system and leans on verbal processing. Parents could spend so much time regulating and prioritizing the child’s emotions that they lose sight of the bigger picture. Feelings aren’t forever.

While there are a few other parenting philosophies we could touch on, my goal is not to pit one philosophy against the other. Each offers meaningful insight into the relationship between adult and child. Each also has gaps. Rather than critiquing the holes, my goal is to offer a bridge. There is a way to gather wisdom from many approaches and connect it through the lens a child understands: play.

What Parents Are Missing

“All around me, in recent years, I’ve seen women living motherhood, as an exercise in correction, trying to heal the wounds of their childhoods, and, prophylactically, to seal their children against future pain.”

— Judith Warner, Perfect Madness

Parents are often told how to set boundaries but not how to create a clear path forward for their child to move into.

A child hears, “Hands are not for hitting.”
But doesn’t know, “What can I do with this energy?”

Without a redirection mechanism, the child stays stuck in the same state, and the boundary becomes a wall instead of a guide. What parents are missing isn’t effort, consistency, or compassion. It’s a way to shift a child’s internal state before asking for cooperation.

In the next post, we’ll look at why play reaches children in moments discipline can’t, and how it changes behavior faster than consequences ever could.

…is what I googled at 3am while nursing my newborn baby.

My first daughter was just under two when I had my second daughter. I was on maternity leave with a ticking clock counting down the days till I would have to open my computer and sign into Slack again. I read the parenting books. I saw the Instagram posts. I was well aware of the evils of screen time and carried the guilt along with me every time I grabbed the remote. I was a brand new mom who didn’t know what else to do, so I started our toddler’s day with a show and placed a checkmark on my mental checklist of “ways I failed today.”

I didn’t realize until later in motherhood that I had created reactive rhythms, not proactive ones. Our days were shaped by whatever problem showed up the loudest, not by what mattered most. Things got easier when I realized I could lead the rhythm instead of chasing it. So once my girls grew older and I had my son, I had no guilt in turning on a show during those newborn hazy days. With trial and error, I learned what screen habits work for our family and am happy to share them with you— not because my way is the ultimate way, but maybe by hearing what mistakes I made, you can avoid them or let go of some of your own guilt and find a little more joy in this season you are in.

Why We Ditched the Timer

Personally, I do not find any value in timing my child’s screen time. I do not set a timer for myself when I go to watch a show, so why would I impose that on my child? How long does that timer remain effective? Can I turn it off once they go to college? Whenever I tried to do a “timer” I miscalculated how much time I needed. I would put on a show for my child so I could go take care of something else, and then the timer would disrupt the flow. So I ditched the timer and focused more on how we use screens.

Our screen rules are less about limits and more about what we’re protecting. We're protecting the way our day unfolds, the depth of my child’s play, and the times of rest when we need it most. When you lead with protection instead of restriction, screen time stops feeling like a battle and starts feeling like a choice.

Here are some questions you can ask yourself to discern whether or not screen time is working with you or against you:

• Does screen time smooth transitions for us or does it make them harder?

• Where do screens naturally fall in our day?

• Is this a season we are in or a habit we’ve created?

• Does this screen habit align with the childhood I’m trying to create?

Once you are able to give an honest look at what is working for you and what is not, you can create a screen time rhythm that your future self can be proud of.

How We Use Screens

Our screen time rules were created by my husband and I. We talked about how and when we wanted to use screens in our home based on the values we want to raise our kids with. These “rules” are not the ultimate rules to go by. In fact, they may look very different for you and your family and that is okay. I share these, not because I think my way is the highway, but as a framework for you to gather inspiration from. They may come off as strict or lenient based on what your values are. First I’ll share what they are and then I will share why they are what they are.

Our main screen rules as a family of three kids ages 3, 6, & 7 are:

• yes to watching shows in the afternoon or while I’m cooking dinner

• yes to Friday night Family movie night

• yes to a tv in the living room & yes to one family iPad

• yes to Saturday morning screen time

• yes to FaceTime with friends on the weekends, special occasions, or holidays

• no to screens in the bedroom

• no iPad or games except on Saturdays, sick days, or holidays

• no YouTube unless an adult is present and actively watching with you

• no shows/movies/games that promote bad behavior or scary content (more on this below)

What We Say No To

The problem with media today is that it is a very different world than what we grew up with. I won’t go too deep into the challenges of modern day media in this article, but I will explain why our family has strict rules around no personal iPads on the weekdays, no Youtube without an adult present, and no media that promotes bad/scary behavior.

These rules came out of trial and error. They were options we allowed and then took away because of the behavior patterns. Youtube became a dangerous place for us. I thought I was turning on a cute toddler video so I could go fold the laundry. Once I paid more attention I realized there are ads and strange sounds/behaviors woven into many “toddler-friendly” videos I had been allowing. My kids were having nightmares and throwing tantrums if I said no to a show. That’s when my husband and I sat down and had a longer conversation on what we wanted to do moving forward. We create a “Yes List” on our apps of approved shows and shared it with our close friends and family whenever they were watching the kids. While making the shift, I would simply say "things like “That show is no longer on our yes list.” Then offer a few options to choose from instead.

The same goes with shows that promote “bad” or “scary” content. I noticed my daughters gravitating towards princess shows where the character was mean or bratty and then find that same behavior show up in our home. Instead I looked for shows that promote kindness and good conflict resolution.

We set these limits as boundaries for our young kids, knowing they will change and adapt as the kids get older and gain our trust. We are also proactive in reading books like Good Pictures, Bad Pictures Jr. and having conversations around what is good and bad. I’m aware that even with our family rules in place, there may be times my kids are exposed to media that doesn’t align with our values. My goal is to equip my children with the character and conviction to make their own choices.

I cannot silence the world of media for my child,
but I can raise a child with confidence louder than the noise.

The Rules & Rhythms We Go By

One of the biggest shifts I made with screen time was moving it from morning time to afternoon time. I made this shift because I noticed a difference in my child’s behavior right away. Screen time became a choice for us rather than a necessity.

My girls were two and three at the time. What began as a small solution, “I’ll put on a show for my toddler while I feed my newborn” turned into our daily default a year later. What started as a season we are in became a habit we created. It was time for me to make a change in our daily routine, and my online searches led me to discover a morning basket. A morning basket is simply a basket filled with a few books, activity pages, and art supplies to use at the table after breakfast. (This one simple change made such a difference in our lives going forward I spent hours researching and learning more about it and made a complete kit that we’ve used for years now!)

In the morning, after breakfast, we pulled out the morning basket and the girls got to work. I watched as they channeled their energy into a love for creating rather than consuming. This also met my needs to simply be present, drink my coffee, and then move onto other tasks once they were fully engaged in the activities. We replaced morning screen time with a morning basket and never looked back.

Screen time isn’t inherently good or bad. It’s all about how it fits into the rhythm of your family values. For us, letting go of morning shows and introducing a morning basket transformed the way our days started: calm, intentional, and full of creativity. We use screens as a tool rather than as a lifesaver. If there’s one takeaway I hope you leave with, it’s this: notice the habits you’ve created, ask yourself what you’re protecting, and give yourself permission to try something new. Small shifts in rhythm can make a big difference in the long run. Not just in screen time, but in the way you parent your children and care for yourself.

If you’re wanting to try out a Morning Basket, I have an all-in-one guide just for you! It includes over 100+ seasonal activity pages, plus a guidebook to help you create calmer morning rhythms. I also have a free 10-Day Morning Journal which you can use alongside your new rhythm to give you prompts and inspiration when you need it most.

You’re not alone. Over 8,000 families have used my guide to create calmer mornings and WE RIDE AT DAWN! ☀️

It’s not that I lack vision. I have plenty of Pinterest boards designed with my goals in mind. I want my home to be curated and cozy. I want my style to comfortable and cool. I want my lifestyle to be slow and intentional. I want my future to be adventurous and quietly successful. I can see it all clearly. But most days, I’m not short on dreams, I’m short on energy.

I try my best to be the mother I want to be, and yet I still find myself weighed down by the gap between my effort and my ideal.

Where is joy found?

Is it something I will have once I achieve my goals?

Is it something I will share when I have more energy and community to share it with?

My son rides up to me on his scooter and asks me to hold out my hand. I open my palm and he places one little pink flower in the middle of it. I look around. Our yard is covered in wet leaves and twigs. No flowers or apparent “beauty” in sight. Fall is in full swing and somehow, somewhere he found a flower to give to me. In that moment I asked, “What if joy isn’t achieved? What if it is received?” What if joy isn’t something we receive after we have everything in order? What if it is something we receive in the midst of the messy, ordinary days of motherhood?

I’ve realized so much of my frustration as a mom comes from wanting to control the uncontrollable. I want to curate my home, my kids, my emotions. I want predictability and progress. But life was never meant to be a linear set of achievements. When I live in a constant tension of what I have and what I wish I had, I miss what’s right in front of me.

Joy isn’t a reward for having it all together. It’s a gift that finds us when we slow down long enough to notice. Joy is the small pink flower found outside on a rainy, fall day.

In practice, there are small shifts I make to find joy in the ordinary moments of motherhood. Some are habits and others are ideas I keep in my pocket for when I really need them. They are not to control the outcome but to refresh how I see things:

My hope is that one of these shifts can help you create joy too! Let me know which one works for you. I’d love to hear about it!

1. Go outside

Fresh air has a way of resetting your nervous system like no other. Even a few minutes outdoors can help shift your energy from feeling stuck to being open.

2. Go on a color walk

Pick a color and look for it along your walk. (This simple, meditative practice works with kids too!) It turns an ordinary walk into an adventure to notice the little things you may have overlooked before.

3. Make process art

Instead of creating a piece of art to hang or complete, do it solely for the process of making something. Focus on the process, what colors you want to choose, how you want to create, etc. This helps you let go of perfection and find joy in the process.

4. Create your own soundtrack

Music can change the mood in an instant. I have a playlist for different seasons or different habits of my home. These soundtracks help set the tone for peace or energy.

5. Watch a childhood movie or read a childhood book

Revisiting a story you loved as a kid can awaken a new sense of wonder in you again. It reconnects you with a simpler version of yourself, the one who believed in magic in the backyard.

6. Drive somewhere new

If you don’t have the energy for a walk, a drive can deliver you to a new way of thinking as well. Put the maps away. Go on a new route. Allow yourself to explore for the sake of going, not just for getting to a destination.

7. Swing

There is something so healing about a swing. Moving your body like you did as a child, feeling the breeze kick through your feet and your hair. Swinging, to me, is joy in motion, and sometimes we need to really feel it to believe it.

Rewind

Let’s rewind. When I first became a mom, I spent hours researching different educational philosophies. I wanted to know everything I could about my child’s development and what to expect for their next phase. Along the way, I started to notice something. There were clear gaps in how many of these approaches actually supported the whole child.

I had questions no one seemed to be asking, let alone answering. I was searching for inspiration in motherhood but only finding Target enthusiasts. Then I heard a phrase, “If you see a problem, become the solution.” So I did. I began using my own creative venture @JoyofCreativePlay to explore and embody the kind of motherhood I had been searching for.

I didn’t have an education degree or title to my name. I had a strong vision to build a bridge where I saw gaps. Prior to that, I spent six years as a children’s pastor and ten years as a hip-hop dance instructor. Sure, I had some insights into childhood development, but most of my ideas came from the day-to-day ordinary moments in motherhood.

Becoming

Becoming a mom is a total identity shift. The person you were so certain of before suddenly feels so far away. You find yourself swapping brunch dates for diaper changes. Your diet consists of sandwich crusts and cold coffee instead of an actual meal.

In the middle of all this change you start searching for who you are now. And if you search online, you will discover a world of “mom tribes”.

Are you a Type A, Type, B, or Type C mom?

Do you let your kids watch Ms. Rachel or Bluey?

Do you follow Montessori, Waldorf, Classical, or Unschooling methods?

It makes sense. We all long to find people who get us, especially in the throws of newborn life. We need to find other likeminded parents. It’s a beautiful expression to find your tribe and connect with others who share those same values as you. But sometimes these groups that are meant to unite us, begin to divide us. Instead of encouraging each other, we start measuring and judging. Suddenly, it feels less like support and more like the Hunger Games of motherhood.

So what do we do with the parenting convictions we hold close?

How do we stay anchored in our values while still learning from those who take a different path?

Discovering

For the past six years, I have grown as a mother and as a business owner. I started out with small dreams, chasing that Pinterest-perfect version of motherhood. And for a while, it was fun. I funneled my creativity through perfect sensory bin setups and homeschool flatlay images.

But eventually something shifted.

What began as curiosity turned into conviction.

I watched my kids tear through a sensory bin and wondered, “Are children wild beings in need of being tamed or are they born with a spark that needs to be lit?”

I re-arranged my home to be child-friendly and questioned, “Can I blend the structure of Montessori, the storytelling of Waldorf, and the devotion of Classical education into something new?”

And what if…just what if… we could solve problems not with pressure, but with play?

A bridge.

That is the image I kept coming back to.

Bringing It All Together

As I continue building this lifestyle brand, I’m not here to add another voice to the noise, tearing down moms down or dismissing educational approaches. I don’t want to pit Montessori moms against Waldorf moms or Classical educators against Unschoolers.

I want to be the bridge that holds them together.
A place where beauty and intention sit side by side.

The truth is, every educational model has its gaps. There is not one single, perfect method that captures the fullness of a child’s potential. And that is why my dream is to be a bridge that connects between the beautiful and the creative, the whimsical and the wise. To slow down long enough to connect with our children’s needs and dream big enough to reimagine motherhood as a village with bridges.

What to Expect

A few updates and would love your feedback on the future of JOY OF.


My Monthly Printable Activities for paid subscribers will continue to be released the last Thursday of the month. This includes a monthly plan of when and how to use these activities for the month ahead. The activities are both educational and open-ended drawing from Montessori, Waldorf, and Classical Education. It also includes holiday themes so you don’t have to search endlessly online for ideas! It’s all curated and planned for you so you can close the tab of “what activity should I prep for my child today?

Thus far, I have been sharing mostly two things: curated Joy Lists and Monthly Printable Activities for kids. Joy Lists is where I share everything I’m loving, learning, reading, and eating at the moment. Would you be interested in also seeing my weekly meal prep plans (for feeding my family of 5) or easy recipes in general?

I’m also planning to dive deeper into what I’m discovering on joyful parenting. I will be offering creative solutions to solving problems with play. I truly believe we undervalue the power of play as a discipline or connection tool. Would that interest you?

Let me know. I’d love to know what you enjoy reading most! And thank you for being here!

In this world you’ll find many strong voices demanding your attention. Don’t look for those who tear down, look for those who build up.

You will find no shortage of strong voices demanding your attention. They may seem wise because they have a big following or bold take on something you’re curious about. But the only way to determine if their message is worth your attention is to look for what they are constructing. Don’t be fooled by volume of content or popularity. Those are not the true markers of wisdom. Are they spewing opinions only for the sake of tearing something or someone else down? Or are they sharing constructive insight in order to bring light towards a way forward?

Tearing down is easy. It takes fare more strength and integrity to build something good and to repair what is broken. Seek out the voices that construct rather than deconstruct, that invite you to grow instead of react. The builders are the ones quietly shaping something worth your attention. As you listen to them, you become one too.

Own your time

Here’s the truth about the elusive concept of time:
You have not been robbed of time. Sometimes it feels that way, but the time you have is yours. Time is not working against you. It is the vessel that holds your day, not the enemy of your dreams. We live in a culture that convinces us we are always behind, but here’s what I want you to hear: you get to decide. You decide what you do and don’t do with your time. You choose to say “yes” to things that bring you life and “no” to things that drain you dry. You decide how a tough moment can change you or challenge you.

Even if your day doesn’t go as planned, or if something feels boring or frustrating, you’re still learning. You’re still growing. And you still get to choose how you move forward. Time isn’t here to rush you to grow up. It’s here to hold space for you to become exactly who you were made to be.

So instead of saying, “I don’t have the time,” ask yourself, “What am I giving my time to? And instead of saying, “there’s never enough,'“ ask, “What would enough look like for me today?”

Create before consuming

Brilliant ideas come with the fresh start of the day. That early-morning clarity is something you don’t want to dim by reaching for your phone or turning on a show. Before any screens go on, do one simple thing: create. (For us, we start with a Morning Basket). This daily rhythm becomes the anchor for your morning. When you choose to create before you consume, something shifts. You become actively curious, not just an observer.

One reason I’m so passionate about the Morning Basket is because it helps me set healthy expectations for our creative time. If I hop on Pinterest too early, I can easily fall into the comparison trap and forget why I even opened the app in the first place. Instead, I stock our basket with a few simple supplies (some activity pages, watercolor paints, maybe a seasonal craft) and let the basket do what it does best: spark curiosity.

If we want to raise creative kids, we need to show them that creativity matters to us too. That’s why I often sit and paint alongside them, not to supervise, but to participate. It’s my way of saying this matters.

Want to try a Morning Basket but don’t know where to start?
My Morning Basket Kit walks you through how to create a calmer morning routine with your child. Over 100+ ready-to-print activities including 4 seasons of learning.
Visit this link to get started!

When I had two under two and was working from home during the pandemic, there were many days that felt like I was drowning. Every undone task, every moment of frustration, every cry felt like proof I wasn’t measuring up. I’d lie in bed at night replaying the day, wondering why I couldn’t seem to get it right, wondering if I was ruining something precious. But now, I see those days differently.

I wasn’t failing.

I was becoming.

I was learning how to walk for the first time in motherhood shoes. I was learning how to talk with words I hoped to hear as a child. I was carrying a baby, and holding hands with the child I once was. Those imperfect, messy days were not weakness. They were the work of becoming a mother and embracing my own childhood once more.

Now that I’m seven years into parenting, I wish I could say the thoughts of failure and comparison have gone away, but they haven’t. They still sneak in when I’m tired, when I scroll too long, when I see another mom doing what looks like more or better or easier. But I’ve learned to not fear those thoughts. I notice the way I’m not just raising my children, I’m re-raising parts of myself. While those thoughts may come and feel heavy in the moment, they may feel lighter down the road.

I don’t get over unmet expectations by pretending they don’t matter to me; I do so by acknowledging the grief and noticing where hope remains. It’s okay to mourn what I thought I would be, whether it’s the kind of mother I planned to be, the career path I dreamed of, or the version of life I dreamed in my head for years. The turning point comes when I gently release the pressure to arrive somewhere specific and just be.

It helps to look back and notice the growth that came from the mistakes and the beauty in what you never could have planned. Letting go of unmet expectations doesn’t mean you stop dreaming. It just means you learn to hold your dreams with open hands, making space for something different (and often deeper) to unfold.

A mom with a toddler and a newborn has a very different day than a mom with 3 kids in full-time school. A mom who chooses to go screen free in the mornings has different challenges than a mom who gives her child the iPad first thing. In order to be successful with a morning routine, you first need to identify what season of life you are in, and then commit to a routine that works with the season. The goals and values you set for today may look different 6 months from now and that is okay. As Reggie Joiner once said, “It’s just a phase—so don’t miss it!”

What is holding you back from achieving the goal you desire?

You may be in a season of life where you spend all of your waking hours with your child. If so, the idea of waking up an hour before your child seems impossible and therefore so does the ability to feel recharged. I’m here to tell you that you can still have a peaceful morning and feel recharged with your kids around. This may be a harder season of life, but your child is not holding you back from peace, your daily rhythm is. Ghandi once said, “peace is not absence of conflict, but the ability to cope with it.”

If it feels as if your child is the reason you cannot reach your goal, look at the season/age of life they are in and ask yourself “how can I achieve this goal with them”. Do you want to exercise in the morning, but have a clingy toddler that wakes up as soon as you do? Turn on some music or a free exercise video on YouTube and invite them to join you. If they start climbing on top of your mid-yoga pose…hey, you just got yourself extra gains! 💪😂 Do you want to create space in the morning to make breakfast and slowly drink your coffee? Prepare an activity or a morning basket the night before and have it ready to go for your child when they begin their day. Create rhythms in your day that support the kind of morning person you want to be and stick with it!

If you’re ready to try a Morning Basket and want to create a rhythm of peace with your child in the morning, I’ve got you! I created an all-in-one kit with ready to go activities to use. No endless searches on Pinterest or iPads needed. Just print and play!

Visit my shop to learn more!

P.S. You’re not alone. Join over 7,000 families who started with my guide! ☀️🧺

Three things I do every morning to fill my cup & theirs:

1. Greet the day with gratitude

   As soon as I open my eyes, I stay laying in my bed for a few extra minutes and I think up a few things I’m grateful for in this new day. It’s a simple practice that helps me approach the day with a joyful heart. If my kids are actively trying to get me out of bed and started with the day, I pull them into my arms and we practice this gratitude greeting together. “What are three things you are grateful for today?”

2. Eat a good meal

Breakfast was one of those meals I would skip as a new mom, because it felt like too much work to take care of myself and my kids. This would then turn into me eating the kids leftovers for lunch and snacking on random finds throughout the day. It wasn’t until the beginning of 2025 that I decided to prioritize my nutrition & I noticed a change in my mood immediately. I have found a way to take care of my meals and the kids meals without carving too much into our morning time. Three ways I do this: I teach the kids how to serve breakfast themselves, I had a conversation with my husband about how mornings felt so hard lately and he offered to cook breakfast on certain days, and lastly, I premade simple meals like chia pudding & oats. By nourishing our bodies in the morning, I find more energy to go about the day.

3. Create before consuming

Another lesson I’m learning in 2025 is to start the day with creativity rather than consumption. This goes beyond scrolling on my phone in the mornings to no longer reading or listening to podcasts in the morning either. While my children get creative with their Morning Basket activities, I use that time to develop my creativity— some days it writing, other days its painting or crafting with my kids. This time/space allows me to activate my mind and ideas and put them into action.

What habit do you love to do in the morning?