We were absolutely delighted to have been invited to take part in the AIA Carnival on their Community Stage last Friday 23rd February. It was such a fun opportunity for parents to come along with their littles and learn some ways of connecting, not just with their children but also themselves, through music, movement and games. It was brilliant to see husbands getting involved in some of the mummy stretches too! We were also very grateful it wasn't a hot day, which makes things a lot more pleasant for activities! You can take a look at what the afternoon involved here!
We hope that the event with the rest of the TFZ team is the first of many more events that provide you and your families with a sense of community, friendship and support in the early years with your children.
Some lovely takeaways from the event that the team shared:
Lisel: Conscious Parenting Coach
1. Remember to take time for you, you can’t pour out of an empty cup
2. Movement and strength - the benefits last way after the exercise session has ended!
3. Music is soothing for you and baby. They form strong social bonds with their caregivers through familiar music, try to build it in your family rituals.
4. Touch, massage, your baby as often as possible and keep it going, pre bedtime, it’s a beautiful oxytocin releasing ritual.
If you would like a copy of different ways to foster connection with your babies and older kids, fill out this link and you will be able to access Lisel's free printable.
Claudia: Music Therapist
1. Babies love to hear their parents singing. Singing to your baby is a wonderful way to bond and relax for both of you.
2. Dedicating time to connect to your favourite music can instantly lift your mood, manage anxiety and reduce pain.
3. Playing musical games with your children can enhance development, language and connection. Make sure you keep the game simple and repetitive until your child understands the game.
Here are some songs which you can sing with your littles:
- Hello Hello
- Sleeping Bunnies
- Move to the Beat
Ishka: Pre and Postnatal Fitness
Quite a lot of mums struggle with a bit of either lower or upper back pain, so there are a few stretches you could try to implement at home into your daily routine. Remember that anyone can just move the body, instead we really want to focus on each movement independently and the area it is targeting, while using our breath to allow us to move deeper into the stretch to really maximize the use of the stretch to our advantage!
Breath-work practice:
INHALE: Expand up and out through the abdomen and rib cage on the inhale through the nose.
EXHALE: Release the breath through the mouth, while engaging the pelvic floor muscles and then engaging the core, starting with the deep core making your way up into the top core.
(Perform this using slow counts of 3-5 sec holds then move into quicker or longer holds once you become comfortable with the breath)
- Focus on exhaling when moving into movements and inhaling coming back to the start of movements.
- Your movement journey will be so different to everyone around you, remember to be kind to yourself and your recovery!, find what you enjoy and find excitement in getting to rediscover your postpartum body and just how strong and amazing she really is!
Movement is medicine that doesn’t require big doses to have instant effects, so start small and each day the body and mind will crave a little more!
Follow this link to a routine for any mums looking to release some tension in the back, also great to help with all the postural changes that comes with having a newborn/little.
A big thank you from all of us for your support!
