The Green Parent

02/11/2024

It can be hard as a new mum to admit that you're struggling.

In our latest edition Mari-Carmen Sanchez-Morris shares 6 ways to prioritize your mental health as you enter motherhood.

"There is a misconception that setting boundaries is ‘selfish’ but Mari-Carmen maintains that without them, burnout and exhaustion are inevitable.

She explains: “We all know you can’t pour from an empty cup, and it’s impossible to provide the best care for our children if we are physically, mentally and emotionally drained. Therefore, taking time to prioritise your own needs is essential.

Whilst finding time for yourself amidst a whirlwind of meetings, deadlines and school runs can feel unattainable, carving out even just a few minutes of each day for some ‘you’ time is a non-negotiable act of not just self-love, but self-preservation.

Setting these boundaries are an important way to protect yourself, and ensure you prioritise energy for people and moments that need you most.”

For more ideas check out our latest edition - get your copy delivered by clicking the link in our bio -

02/11/2024

Just two weeks left to enter our fantastic November competitions 🍂 Good luck!
https://thegreenparent.co.uk/win/

Oscha Slings
The Warm Welly Company
Middle-earth Yoga
Eco Warrior
Flying Eye Books

31/10/2024

Ask the Community

“I need some simple, hearty, veggie meals ideas to shake up our kitchen this autumn! Cheers”
~ Mark, Leics

30/10/2024

It's nearly Samhain!

Here are some ideas for celebrating with your family...

Traditionally Samhain, or Halloween, is a time to honour our interconnected world, especially the unseen world of spirit; to welcome a time of rest and renewal; and to remember those who have died.

Glennie Kindred celebrates the Celtic New Year at Samhain.

"As the season begins to change, and the year’s outer growth cycle comes to an end, the autumn reveals many new possibilities," she says.

"The festival of Samhain, on 31 October, marks the end of the old year’s cycle and the beginning of the Celtic New Year.

Give Thanks
Samhain is a time to give thanks for the year that is now finishing. Name all the good things as well as the challenges, and look for the hidden blessings that may be found within them. Nurturing new directions brings hope and purpose to your winter months.

Gather Together to Reflect
Gather your family together for a mini Samhain celebration. You could each bring a special stone. Everyone holds their stone as they contemplate and reviews the year that has ended. Each speaks from the heart and takes a wide overview as well as a personal perspective. Each names a new hope or new direction that has been revealed and embeds it in the stone, which can be decorated.

For more ideas go to: thegreenparent.co.uk.

28/10/2024

Happy Monday!

It was a delight to speak to Kiki Swindells for our latest edition of The Green Parent, where she shared about a day in the life of her home educating family.

I found her approach so inspirational.

"A typical day starts at the table with our poem of the day and some classical music," Kiki shares.

The boys get ready and I have some one-on-one time with my toddler to fill her love bucket. This usually means she’s more inclined to potter for the next hour or so, while me and the boys enjoy some form of project work.

I try and grab some time with each of them separately to focus on their interests.

The biggest challenge as a home educating parent is avoiding overwhelm. The winter months can be hard with shorter days and less time outside. We often have many projects on the go which spread across the house, which is what I like to call “happy mess”.

But, at times it feels a lot and it can be hard to stay on top of laundry, housework and life admin. I have to remind myself that a happy home is more important than a tidy one.

Whilst I don’t seek a perfect home, I really do believe that the atmosphere of our home should be calm and cosy.

Without a doubt the best thing about home education is the time we get to spend together as a family, and the time our children get to immerse themselves in their passions and really discover themselves.

Community is hugely important to me and has been incredibly valuable, so please do reach out if you need a listening ear or have doubts. I’m always happy to hear from fellow home educators."

To read more about Kiki's home educating journey, get a copy of our latest issue delivered - click on the link in our bio - .

Love from Melissa

26/10/2024

We all want our children to be generous.

But how do we encourage that?

Dr. Laura Markham writes about this in our latest edition.

"There are some people who believe that our purpose on earth is to grow by giving to each other, an idea I find inspiring and beautiful.

Forcing someone to be generous just makes him resentful though.

One way is to model generosity.

You can do this by volunteering as a family.

My kids and I volunteered at a local soup kitchen, and my kids loved feeling like they were making a difference in the lives of the folks they served. It also helped them feel better when they saw a homeless person, to know that person could go get a hot meal at “our” soup kitchen.

What can kids do? Sort food at a food bank. Help you deliver Meals on Wheels. Organise a book drive.

For more ideas check out our latest edition - get your copy delivered by clicking the link in our bio -

24/10/2024

Ask the Community

“Hiya, how do you celebrate Halloween or Samhain with your kids? I’m looking for a few gentle tradition ideas that we can introduce”

~ Mia, Banffshire

19/10/2024

I felt so inspired by the story of Melli and Wallo in our latest edition, who write about how they are building a community in Costa Rica.

"Our kids love their life and are involved in every step; they learn freely and are self-determined; they follow their joy and curiosity.

They are raised to trust their own strength, and allow their creativity to flow in all directions.

We need free-thinking, creative, trusting human beings, deeply anchored in themselves and mother earth, to lead humanity into new ways of being.

They see and feel themselves as part of nature, which means they're ready to protect it and to feel confident and safe in the natural world.

I want our children to feel brave and confident to question systemic structures and to never let their own truth be silenced."

To read their story, get the latest edition delivered to your door, just click the link in our bio - - or go to link.thegreenparent.co.uk/buy121

Love from Melissa

19/10/2024

Ask the Community

“I wonder if anyone has got any easy-to-make home remedies that I can get my home educated children involved with this autumn, please?”

~ Abbie, Denbighshire

17/10/2024

9 of the best places for Autumn Leaf Spotting in Wales. We'd love to hear your suggestions for leaf spotting 👇🍂

Wales is a vision in the autumn. Rolling hills awash with golden colour, here are some of our favourites for peeping at autumn leaves

12/10/2024

I feel so inspired and uplifted by Kate Vaks .going.solo in our latest edition.

She writes about how going off on mini solo-adventures has changed her life as a mum, and helped her be more patient and present.

Here she shares her favourite ways to reconnect if you're feeling low or under resourced, right now.

⭐HOW TO RECONNECT⭐
One of my favourite activities that I highly recommend is walking barefoot. You can do this in various places such as a park, sandy beach, lake, or even your own garden.

Unlike shoes, which can be limiting, walking barefoot allows your feet to experience a sense of freedom. Take a stroll around and let your feet fully connect with the ground beneath them. As you do this, take deep breaths, and allow yourself to relax.

If walking without shoes is not something you enjoy, try finding a peaceful location outdoors and sitting on the ground with your eyes shut.

Take a moment to concentrate on your senses - What sounds can you hear? What sensations do you feel on your skin? What scents can you detect? How are you feeling emotionally? Allow your senses to take over.

If you have more time, then go on and hunt for your nearest trig point; there are many scattered all over the countryside, and you could make it your mission to tick off all your local ones!

To read Kate's story and for more adventuring inspiration, get the latest edition of The Green Parent delivered to your door - go to the link in our bio -

Love from Melissa

11/10/2024

Get a free interactive download of our new autumn issue when you purchase the print edition, making all the rich links to further reading, inspiration and products just a tap away 😊🍁
https://link.thegreenparent.co.uk/buy121

10/10/2024

Ask the Community

“I’m really struggling this year with transitioning to autumn. I’d love to hear from autumn-lovers what they enjoy most to help me get on board with the season change!”

~ Imogen, Oxon

09/10/2024

"Play is essential at every stage of our lives!" says Chelsea Elliott

"Many people—including doctors and educators - see play as something kids do outside of learning. It is actually the primary way humans learn.

• Creative play allows kids to use their imagination to explore their world or create a new one.

• Dramatic play helps kids understand various perspectives as they role-play with others.

• Social play lets kids practice self-regulation and rule-following skills by learning how to lose graciously and celebrate themselves and others.

• Unstructured play helps with cognitive development as the brain builds new neuropathways as kids develop innovative ways to interact with the world.

• Communication play allows kids to use new words they wouldn't typically use in everyday conversations.

• Locomotor play gives kids the chance to move their bodies in fun and unique ways (this is how my husband and I discovered our oldest daughter is a natural gymnast).

Play helps us learn about ourselves, each other, and the world around us in a unique way.

Outside of the direct benefits of play for kids, it helps adults understand a child's unfiltered mind. Participating in play with our kids can give insight into things they know or have experienced that they may not have shared with us before.

For example, playing with your child can highlight issues with friends at school, their thoughts on bullying, and how they perceive your parenting. It can also help you see how they truly feel about themselves and their abilities.

It is vital to not just play along but to find out if there is a real-world meaning behind what they are playing out.

My advice for parents wanting to encourage more space for play is to allow kids time to be bored and to fill in the gaps in their own way. Some parents may be surprised by their kids' interests based on how they play when they have no instructions or guidance."

09/10/2024

Congratulations to the winners of our Healthy Mama Happy Baba nutritional supplement competition:
Laura form Derby, Natalie from Bedford and Charlotte from Kent 🎉. https://healthymamahappybaba.co.uk
Check out our latest competitions on The Green Parent website here: https://thegreenparent.co.uk/win/

08/10/2024

Congratulations to Jessica from Worthing 🤩The winner of our Arella Beauty competition to win a three month supply of Arella Collagen. Check out our latest competitions on The Green Parent website here: https://thegreenparent.co.uk/win/

07/10/2024

It was such an honour to share Desiree Cameron wisdom about the transition into parenthood in our latest issue.

Here she gives her top 3 ways to ease the transition:

⭐1. Trust in Your Unique Journey

Never compare yourself to someone else. Trust in your own abilities as a new parent. No matter what book you read or YouTube channel you watch, remember that your parenting style is unique to your child. Do what feels right, follow your intuition, and believe in yourself.

⭐2. Build a Supportive Community

Parenting is not easy, and it shouldn't be done alone! Surround yourself with a supportive community.

⭐3. Check in with Yourself

Regularly assess how you’re feeling about this new transition. Reflect on your emotions and physical state. Do you need more support? Boosting mental health is crucial before taking on the responsibility of caring for a new human. Engaging in activities that bring joy and reduce stress, like yoga or art classes, should be planned before the baby arrives. You’ll thank yourself later on.

To read more of Desiree's story, follow her, and get our latest issue delivered - click the link in our bio -

Love from Melissa

05/10/2024

It's Apple Day on 21 October and there's loads of celebrations taking place at orchards and farms around the UK through the whole month – find your nearest at link.thegreenparent.co.uk/appledays

Here are some of our favourites:

🍎Apple Day at Cambridge Botanic Garden – 20 Oct
Highlights of this apple day include apple tasting: over 25 heritage varieties to taste and buy; apple identification and apple cultivation: expert advice on what to grow, how to plant and prune for a bumper crop. botanic.cam.ac.uk

🍎Heritage Orchard Days at Brogdale Farm, Kent – 19 and 20 Oct
Celebrate the harvest at the home to the National Fruit Collection and hectares of orchards filled with heritage apple, pear, plum, quince and cherry trees. Over 100 different heritage varieties to choose from! brogdalecollections.org

🍎Apple Day Weekend at the Newt, Somerset – 19 and 20 Oct
There'll be apple games, tastings and tractor tours through the orchards, plus live music. You can even bring along your own apples and have them pressed or simply try The Newt's apple-themed menu. thenewtinsomerset.com

🍎Apple Tasting at Acorn Bank, Cumbria – weekends in Oct
Sample over 175 varieties of rare, heritage apples from Acorn Bank’s orchards - Try a Keswick Codlin, a Howgate Wonder or even a Pitmaston Pineapple! nationaltrust.org.uk

🍎Apple Day at Tatton Park, Cheshire – 6 Oct
Join in games and children’s activities in the gardens and taste delicious varieties from Tatton’s historic orchards. Plus, say hello to rare breed animals including Red Poll cattle, Clydesdale horses, Leicester Long-wool sheep and Tamworth pigs. nationaltrust.org.uk

In our latest edition we've got a feature celebrating heritage apples and community orchards; it's packed with ideas for creating your own Apple Day and delicious things to make and do with the juicy fruit!

Get your copy delivered by clicking the link in our bio -

Love from Melissa

03/10/2024

Ask the Community

What are your go-to multivitamins for both young children (5) and older children (13) now that we are in Autumn?

Thank you
~ Kathryn, West Glamorgan

02/10/2024

My daughter and I LOVE reading! I try and rotate the books that she has on her bookshelves in her bedroom every 4 weeks or so.

This week it was time to dig out some of our favourite autumnal reads. I thought I'd share them here with you.

🍁Brambly Hedge Autumn Story by Jill Barklem
I'm sure most of you have discovered this series of books featuring the lives of a community of mice who live self-sufficiently in the hedgerow. My daughter and I love all of the tales but particularly, Autumn. The mice have to harvest everything before the rains come, and the mouse Primrose gets herself into a pickle. The illustrations have my daughter and I pouring over the pages – how about the harvest mice with their woven grass house and its thistledown carpets?!

🍁Little Witch Hazel by Phoebe Wahl
An earthy collection of four stories that celebrate the seasons, nature, and life, from award-winning author-illustrator Phoebe Wahl. Little Witch Hazel is a tiny witch who lives in the forest, helping creatures big and small. She's a midwife, an intrepid explorer, a hard worker and a kind friend. We love the illustrations from this brilliant unschooled creative!

🍁Humongous Fungus by Lynne Boddy and Wenjia Tang
Fungi can be found in every ecosystem. They carpet the forest floor, decompose matter, feed plants, and even change animals' behaviour. Mushrooms come in all colours, shapes, and sizes. Did you know that there are over 1.5 million known fungus species? This book really opens our eyes to the wonder of fungi!

For more autumn reading inspiration, check out https://thegreenparent.co.uk/featured/15-childrens-books-to-read-this-autumn/

Love from Melissa

30/09/2024

In our latest edition, it's an honour to be able to share the wisdom of Dr. Kirsty Pakes .

Here she shares 5 tools that can be used to create deep connection with our children:

"Hand in Hand parenting teaches 5 'listening tools' - each involves an element of listening.

1 Special Time (child-led 1-1 time to build connection)

2 Staylistening (listening to a child's emotions with warmth and empathy to allow for emotional release and healing)

3 Playlistening (play that promotes laughter where the child has the upper-hand - can be used for building connection but also to address particular emotional struggles, can also be used to set limits)

4 Setting Limits (stopping tricky behaviour with warmth and connection, to allow for the underlying feelings driving the behaviour to be released)

5 Listening Partnerships for Parents (a support tool for parents to get the necessary emotional support for the hard work of parenting).

Fore more on how to build our children's resilience and boost their mental health, get your hands on our latest copy - click the link in our bio, or contact Kirsty for advice.

With love from Melissa

28/09/2024

Hello and a very happy weekend to you!

I'm loving all your comments about our latest edition, which came out last week, with the theme: Abundance!

One of the features inside is an article by the brilliant Gemma Hill-Davis .curiosity who was inspired to launch her outdoor learning business because of home educating her daughter during lockdown.

She shared some of her favourite ways to mark the turning of the seasons.

🐾Badger Day - October 6th
Recommended read - Tidy by Emily Gravett
Activity - Science enquiry, Art, Literacy, Environmental Awareness

Watch the Secret life of badgers film at badgertrust.org.uk/education.

Go for a walk to look for signs of badgers, can you spot any tracks? Look out for conkers whilst on your walk, what other signs of Autumn can you see? You could take along a Autumn Scavenger hunt like this one link.thegreenparent.co.uk/scavenger - egg boxes make a brilliant tub for all your nature finds.

Can you decorate your conker to turn it into a badger? Or draw a badger track?

🌳National Tree Week - November 23rd
Recommended read - The Oak Tree by Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandoy

Activity - Mindfulness
Try this simple way to find your tree. Take a charcoal pencil and trace the main lines on your child’s hand, then go outside and search for a tree that has the same markings. Look for marks on the bark or the shape of the branches.

Once you have found the tree that best suits your hand markings, this is your tree. Perhaps you could draw it? What would you want to ask your tree? What stories has your tree heard?

Maybe you could visit your tree throughout the seasons and take photos to track the changes as the seasons shift."

I'd love to hear about your experiences of using this method to find your tree - tell me what you discovered!

Love from Melissa

26/09/2024

Ask the Community

“Hi, anyone had experience of school refusal and got any advice to share? Thanks!"

~ Daisy, Somerset

25/09/2024

Every year we publish an Alternative Schools Guide, packed with ideas for those of you who don’t want to follow the mainstream path for your children.

Inside you'll discover completely outdoor kindergartens, forest-based home-education groups, Waldorf schools, Montessori farm schools and many more.

We bring this out in print every March, but so many of you asked if we could make it a year-round resource, we've just updated it and released it on our website, for everyone, for free.

We want to make a resource that helps you choose an education that is tailored to your child.

More and more of us are choosing something different for our kids.

I see so much value in home education, in raising free-thinkers who are able to listen and respond to their own instincts. I also love the Forest School ethos and draw lots of inspiration from the Montessori approach.

It’s my belief that the schools and settings in our Alternative Schools Guide will enable your child to be themselves and most importantly, think for themselves.

Read online or download your free copy to keep here
https://thegreenparent.co.uk/featured/alternative-schools-guide-2024/

Happy discovering!

And, if we've forgotten anyone, please let me know in the comments. I'll be compiling our ASG 2025 soon and would love some more inspiration about who should be inside!

Love from Melissa