Hey there, I'm Julia Cartwright, and I am so glad you're here. If you're listening on a Friday morning like this one, you might be feeling that familiar tension creeping in—that sense that the week is catching up with you and your kids, and everyone's nerves are a little frayed. So today, we're going to do something really powerful together. We're going to practice something I call the "calm contagion," because here's the thing: kids are like emotional sponges, and when you find your center, they feel it. Let's settle in.

Take a moment right now and find a comfortable seat, somewhere you won't be interrupted for the next few minutes. Go ahead and close your eyes if that feels right. Notice your feet on the floor, your body in the chair or on the ground. You're safe here. Take a deep breath in through your nose for a count of four, and exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six. Do that one more time. In for four, out for six. Feel that? That's your nervous system saying hello.

Now, I want you to imagine your calm as something tangible—maybe it's warm honey, or golden light, or the feeling of your favorite blanket. Whatever it is, picture it settling in your chest like it's pooling at your heart. With each exhale, this calm spreads a little further through your body. It moves down your arms, into your hands. With the next breath, it moves down your spine. You're not forcing anything here—you're just noticing, allowing, like you're watching a sunset happen rather than making it occur.

Here's the secret: children don't respond to perfection. They respond to presence. When you're grounded like this, when you've touched that calm inside yourself, your teenager stops mid-argument and notices something shifted. Your toddler senses you're really there, not just going through the motions. This is the contagion.

As you move through today, notice one moment where you can pause. Maybe it's before you open the car door at pickup, or before you call the kids to dinner. Just ten seconds of that four-count breath. That's it. You're not trying to fix anything or make anyone behave differently. You're simply anchoring yourself so you can show up as the calm center your family needs.

Thank you so much for joining me today on Mindful Parenting: Daily Tips for Raising Calm Kids. If this practice resonated with you, please subscribe wherever you're listening. Your presence here matters, and I'll see you again soon.

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