Hey there, and welcome back. I'm Julia Cartwright, and I'm so glad you're here with me today. You know, it's mid-morning on a Wednesday, and I'm guessing your house might feel a little like a pinball machine right now—kids bouncing, voices rising, everyone needing something yesterday. Am I close? If so, you're exactly where you need to be.

Today, we're going to practice something I call "The Pause Portal," and it's going to change how you show up for your kids over the next few hours. But first, let's just breathe together for a second. Find a comfortable seat—even if it's on the kitchen floor, that counts—and let your shoulders drop away from your ears. Good. Now, take one really intentional breath in through your nose for a count of four, and out through your mouth like you're fogging a mirror. Again. And once more. Notice how your body already feels a tiny bit less like a rubber band pulled too tight.

Here's the thing about raising calm kids: we have to become calm first. It's not selfish; it's physics. Kids are like mirrors made of sponges—they absorb everything, especially our tension.

So here's the practice. Imagine your nervous system is like a snow globe. Right now, it's been shaken. Everything inside is swirling. Our job isn't to stop the snow; it's to let it settle. Throughout your day, every time you notice your kids pushing your buttons—and they will, because that's their job—pause. Just pause. Take three intentional breaths and mentally say, "Settling, settling, settling." Feel your feet on the ground. Feel the chair beneath you. This is your reset button, and it takes less than a minute.

The magic happens when you do this before you react, not after you've already raised your voice. You're teaching your children that emotions are like weather—they move through us, but they don't define us. That's the real calm we're cultivating.

Tonight, when bedtime feels chaotic, use this practice. When sibling tensions peak at dinner, use it again. You're not trying to be perfect; you're trying to be present.

Your kids don't need a zen master. They need you—steady, grounded, real you.

Thank you so much for joining me on Mindful Parenting: Daily Tips for Raising Calm Kids. This practice works best when it becomes a habit, so please subscribe and join me again tomorrow. You've got this.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI