17 Comments

Aw thanks for sharing Jenna 🌸 Always happy to brighten others days! Oh naps.... That feels like another lifetime ago. I loved those little breaks in the day too. When my eldest stopped napping we transitioned to quiet play with audiobooks in the middle of the day and she still loves this routine years on! My son stops for nothing though haha so no rest for me 😅 It sounds like you've found a nice new flow x

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My daughter loved the Thomas and Friend stories on Spotify when she was little. We've been doing a lot of Enid Blyton at present. The Julia Donaldson audiobooks are wonderful shorter stories too.

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Thanks for those recommendations Stephanie, I'm going to search for those now!

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I lived for those naps, plus I love a nap myself! That's a lovely idea with the audiobooks too. Your son is a busy boy, too busy to stop!! I do wonder where their energy comes from! Yes, enjoying the new flow, I'm enjoying the change in routine even though it felt hard at the start. Do you have any favourite audiobooks for toddlers?

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Your November sounds absolutely restorative and lovely, in spite of the challenge/freedom of a nap drop! I'm currently in a rut where I don't have anything wildly creative to write about. I attribute this to a change in my corporate job and some difficulties in my parental relationships which has thrown me into what I'm affectionately referring to as a mini-depression. My only fear is the last time this happened I didn't write for 10 years 😳 so when you entered your own writing block, did you simply sink yourself into rest and other creative outlets? Does the quieting of your mind with rest/crocheting give you more mental space to observe and get inspired?

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Thanks Heather, it turned out to be pretty good thankfully after me feeling like the world was ended with that nap drop!! I'm sorry you are having a rough time atm - it can't be easy to be creative when you have stress from work and family stress too, that takes over and must leave you feeling exhausted. Yes, that's it, I literally just left any kind of writing alone and read and did crochet, then after a while different ideas kept popping into my head. I find that journalling can really help give me some clarity too. What kind of topics do you love writing about?

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My Substack is about honest parenting and self-development. I'm also working on a novel centered around PPD themes using a haunted house metaphor.

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Your book sounds so interesting Heather, and we write about the same things too on our Substacks too! I hope that you start to feel a bit brighter soon Heather x

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Thank you, I appreciate it and your Substack!

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Ahh Jenna, honoured to be included in your Substack round up! I’m going to see Wicked at the cinema with my middle one this Friday, excited for some one on one time with her x

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Thanks Karen! Oh are you, you will both have a fab time! So lovely to have one on one time too, I always find it very strange when I'm out with just one of the kids, I keep looking around thinking I've forgot the rest of them!! Have a lovely time on Friday xx

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Oh my gosh the nap drop.

We get naps sometimes and then the inevitable late bedtime or early morning wake!

Maybe you should have a quiet puzzle time in the day as a scheduled break? Or a buggy walk that was the only time I got any peace 😂

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It's really tough isn't it - felt like a massive change in our routine but we are slowly getting used to it. Yes, that's it, the nap affects everything doesn't it, bedtimes that go on for hours!! Yes, we like a bit of puzzle time and our walks too in the time that he'd usually nap. How is your eldest getting on in school? Hope all is OK with you guys xx

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We’re good thanks, Jenna! He is loving school although off sick last week so we did get a small blip of not wanting to go in because he wanted to stay home but fingers crossed we are back to normal now!

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Glad your eldest is enjoying school - sorry he has been poorly too. My middle son sometimes struggles when he's been off ill for a few days too, they are out of the routine aren't they, so it can be a bit tricky to get back into the swing of things after they've been off for a bit.

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Thank you so much for featuring my post in this! I’m currently on my fifth day stuck in bed with flu so this has really cheered me up. I’m so glad you enjoyed the piece.🩷

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You are welcome Kathy ❤️, it was such a powerful post and your words will stay with me. Im sorry you are so poorly, really hope you get better soon, lots of hot tea and naps in order. I do feel like the Autumn bugs have been nastier this year, my two eldest have never been off school more with coughs and colds!

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