Let's Share!

We encourage you to SHARE your experience with us.  Tell your story about the unplug experience of 2 hours each day starting June 1, 2013.  
Leave a reply below or maximize the use of social media to learn from each other!

Let the games BEGIN!


2 comments:

Contributor: Christine Mann said...

Uh-huh is a spontaneous and authentic expression when we so clearly understand a cause and effect.

When we are with our children it is important, that we have the right conditions to have many of these uh-huh moments. Our children and families need our full attention and our full capacity to learn and grow with them.

Only if we are eliminating distraction are we able to be fully present.
Nowadays we are taught to study, read, get more information and be connected through social media to many people and events worldwide at the same time. This type of accumulation of information requires us to multitask.
We are multitasking while at work, while enjoying time with friends, while attending to mundane household tasks,while watching a good movie.
And most of all while attending to our children and family.

We live in the age of distraction – not only by social media and electronic devices, but also by our expectations for our lifestyle.
What luck we have to live with such convenience and luxury our money can buy. This lifestyle though makes it more challenging to be present.

Our head is full of “to-do-lists”, and, with all that multitasking, we have to make sure we don’t forget anything on our lists!

When we become quiet and shut out distractions, we will start hearing our mind repeating to us all the things we need to do, to get, to become, to prepare, attend to and so on. It feels so much easier just to keep on going, instead of listening to our head.
However if we stay with our quiet moment just a little bit longer we will notice that there is also another faculty within us. That is the faculty of listening to our heart. Here our hopes and wishes are alive; our authentic self is seeded in our heart.
Here in our heart is also the place where we notice and learn with Uh-huh moments. It is like for the very first time certain events or actions make sense to us. We are integrating this new uh-huh information with our whole body. The knowledge acquired at such moment will stay with us for a life time.

On June 1st, please join us for a 15 day challenge of turning off your electronic devices for 2 hours a day. Give yourself and your families your full attention....and remember: when you feel the urge to fall back into the need to check a txt msg or you can’t even listen to anything else then your mind repeating your to do lists.... it takes just that little moment longer to be present again.
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Christine Mann has over 21 years experience working with families and children in a variety of contexts, such as:

• Family Place,
• Community Child Care,
• Preschool,
• Family Child Care,
• Out-of-School Care,
• Family Information and Resource
• Diversity Training
• Child Care Support & Outreach

Currently she works with the North Shore Child Care Resource & Referral Program as the Child Care Support and Outreach Consultant.

The "Uh-Huh" Challenge said...

Contributor: Christine Mann writes....

Here is a great Quote of Lao Tzu, a mystic philosopher of ancient China, best known as the author of the Tao Te Ching.:

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.”

What a great statement - just letting go of my self-made identity will allow my REAL identity to shine.

How about our children - are we imposing identities on them, identities WE like them to have?
We are so used to give our electronics or adult conversation attention, that it is sometimes hard to notice our inattentiveness to our children. We also don’t notice our behavior.
So often we are focusing on the past or the future and therefore ignoring the present moment.

What if we could give our present moment full power and enjoy now?
How about investing in this experience instead of investing in things?

Let us try to remember that mess is necessary for learning, and know that by believing that neat and orderly is what is most important, we miss the opportunity to enjoy the activity and our children.
By putting electronics in front of children we surround them with noise.

What will happen if we allow children and ourselves to experience silence?

Are you usually attending to your children by doing what is fast, easy and comfortable for you as the adult or are you taking the time to build foundation and path towards adulthood for your children?

Do you insist that your children follow an outside authority and learn to obey? Or do you help your children to develop their own inner-authority, learning and trusting self and building self-esteem?

Do you manage your children’s behavior without raising your own consciousness first or are you managing your own mind first?

Do you believe that what you think is the truth? Do your thoughts direct your behavior? Is that the truth? Are you able to be YOU? Are your children able to be who they are?Are you and your children shining?

These are questions to ponder!