As we enter into a season meant to be filled with light, love, & joy, I wanted to just acknowledge that this can also be a time filled with pressure, stress, and overwhelm. We take on a lot as parents during this time, and just in case no one has said this to you yet, it's ok, more than ok, it's GOOD, to say "no" to some things. To release traditions that feel confining, to embrace slowing down, doing less, and savoring more, and to pause what needs to so that you can be fully present with yourself and your family.

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That's exactly why, for the first time since starting The Balanced Parent Podcast, I'm taking a few weeks off from publishing new episodes. After this week, for the rest of December, I'm going to be slowing down, spending a bit more time with my family. Before the break however, I did want to leave you with one last episode. This episode contains a short, guided visualization and meditation that I hope will support you in slowing down and coming back to yourself over the next few weeks. I'm including it here simply because I know that the upcoming weeks may be stressful and overwhelming for some families, and it may be difficult to find a moment to pause and gain some perspective, peace, and compassion for yourself. I hope that you find it helpful and come back to it whenever you need it. If you like this sort of thing, let me know and we can do more of this!