Storybox Playlist: Our Most Restful Stories
There are times in all of our lives when we are in a state of increased activity, and that’s okay — but we don’t want to linger there. We've created this special playlist to focus on pausing, slowing down, and resting! In fact, you will find plenty of support, tools, and of course stories in Sparkle Land to help incorporate rest into your ongoing family rhythms. You can read some of our best tips on the Sparkle Blog. For now, we invite you to slow down along with us and take a breath with these lovely, helpful stories. You’ll find each story below along with a few words about why we’ve included it and some helpful resources to go along with each!
Newberry: Noticing Each Family Member’s Needs
This story comes from the Stories for Overwhelm collection and we are including it to help families remember to notice, honor, and respond to each member’s individual needs. In “Newberry,” a little mouse who prefers things slow, small, and steady is facing a spectacular birthday celebration. A trusted friend helps Newberry to shift things to match his own speed.
Some of us are introverts, some are extroverted, and some fall in the space between. What is the case for each member of your family? How do you recharge most effectively? Include moments and intentions in your rest to make space for an experience that is restorative to each of you! Read more on the Sparkle Blog.
Song of the Orange Day Lily: Being Present
One of the keys to truly enjoying and experiencing rest is to be fully present in the moment. In this story from our So Many Fairies collection, a young girl named Esther has a magical gift for creating beautiful flower bouquets. It is her ability to attend fully to the present moment that makes this possible. For more tools and support on cultivating presence (for parent and child alike), also check out The Power of Pause, a Sparkle Schoolhouse post from the Blog!
The Snowball Factory: Self-Regulation
An important part of rest is understanding boundaries and the need for times of solitude. This is an important part of learning and cultivating self-regulation — whether parenting children or re-parenting yourself! Martin learns to navigate self-regulation and boundaries (and gains a little perspective) when Momma shares a helpful story in “The Snowball Factory.” For more support and insights into self-regulation, listen to this previous episode of the SparkleCast with Dr. Carrie Contey.
Too Much: Saying No to Things
In the Martin & Sylvia: More Adventures! story "Too Much," Daddy invites Martin and Sylvia to join him at the annual town auction and they hesitantly agree. Momma senses that they might not want to go and uses lesson time to help them realize that the auction might be too much. This is an important lesson in learning to say no to certain things — an essential part of rest and recharging!
About the Author
Jessica Pounds
Jessica is a content creator, writer, strategist, and vintage pyrex collector. She has a passion for facilitating authentic connection, whether that's through her work at Sparkle Stories or her songwriting.
