Updates from Kay Page

Sleep. That thing we all want, but never seem to get enough of—especially if you're a mom with teenagers. If your teen's sleep schedule resembles that of a nocturnal owl more than a human, you're not alone. It is the same at our house! Let's talk about how much sleep our teens really need and how to help them get it!

According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep per night. Sounds simple, right? Hah! If only. Between school and sports and technology, they are not getting that. At least at our house!

Remember those days when your baby slept 16 hours a day? Well, teens aren't that different. Their bodies are growing, their brains are developing, and that all takes energy. And guess what? Energy is replenished through sleep. Thus, the 8-10 hour recommendation.

But here's the kicker—thanks to their circadian rhythms, teens are naturally inclined to stay up later and wake up later. Schools, however, haven't quite caught on to this yet. Which is why my teen is always tired and wanting coffee in the morning!

We all know sleep deprivation turns our teens into grumpy, moody, and forgetful people. But it gets worse. Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to a host of issues like:

In other words, lack of sleep isn’t just a pain for you; it's messing with your teens too.

Let's get to the good stuff—how to encourage healthier sleep habits.

Think of your teens’ room as a sleep sanctuary. Here are some tips to get started:

Consistency is key. Encourage your teen to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends.  Yes, weekends too. Do the best you can. Trust me. I know it is hard!

Help your teen wind down with some relaxation techniques. Here are a few ideas:

 

Show your teen that you value sleep by practicing healthy sleep habits yourself. Because, let's face it, when was the last time you got 8 hours of sleep? No judgement here – I am a work in progress with sleep!

The teen sleep dilemma might feel like a never-ending battle, but with a little bit of patience, a little bit of strong arming and showing them you are trying too, you'll get through it. Encourage healthy sleep habits, create a sleep-friendly environment, and lead by example. Before you know it, your teen might actually get those 8-10 hours of sleep—and so might you.

If you need more personalized advice, don't hesitate to reach out—we're all in this together.

Happy sleeping, moms!

This season flew by so fast and I am trying to take the time to slow down and really appreciate it. We only have five days left! Five days! Last night we took the kids and drove around looking at Christmas lights and listening to Christmas music on the radio. 

So I thought I would share with you a few tips that I am using on slowing down and enjoying the last week of the Christmas season.

Say no to the things that you don't really want to do and say yes to the things you know will bring you joy! 

Make sure you actually SCHEDULE some down time for yourself. To just relax and enjoy. Whatever that means for you. 

Take notice of the little blessings. At our house at the end of the day we talk about something that happened that day that was a positive thing that we consider a blessing. I have found that the more we do this the more we appreciate the little things. 

Unplug for a little bit every day, even it is only 15 minutes or so a day.  And on that same note, spend more time in person with people you love and less time on social media! 

And last but not least, watch your favorite Christmas movie - and make cookies if that's your thing! 

Having said that - here are a couple of recipes that I love! 

And then here is a link to a hot chocolate recipe that I love. I use oat milk since I am dairy free! 

Halloween is almost here! 

I read a great article yesterday on trick-or-treating, and how old is too old for your kids to be putting on costumes and getting candy. Part of the article talked about a community in Kentucky where their Halloween celebration is a community thing. The college kids come home, do some trick-or-treating of their own and then go downtown and help with the littles and the celebration. I absolutely loved it! 

My daughter is 15 and will be going trick-or-treating with us this weekend. She still loves it. I want her to be a kid as long as she can. Childhood is over far too quickly. And I would rather the teenagers be out trick-or-treating with their friends then out partying or doing who knows what! So when you have those older kids come to your door (and are being respectful and kind!) remember that a candy bar is an easy thing to give for a little bit of happiness!

Okay. Now some easy DIY's! 

Save Your Pumpkins

#Protip - Spray your pumpkin and gourds down with Thieves Cleaner and they will last you all season long and then some! When we carve ours I spray inside too! Helps a lot. Especially here where it is still hot outside. 1 capful for a 16 oz. bottle of water. Super cheap!

Fall Scents

There are SO MANY different diffuser blends out there. You can google away or search in Living Raindrops. But here is a good list of fall type oils that make good blends. Get some of these and practice and create! One of my standard smells that I use a lot is Thieves and Orange. 

 

I have decided to shift the focus of my blog posts and teaching a bit. Forever evolving, right?! As my daughter steps firmly into being a teenager, and I have a tween boy behind her, I decided it was time to share and help those that have teens. How to cope. How to find the energy within ourselves. How to serve ourselves and them. For years I dreaded that the sweet girl I loved so much would become this scary teen. And did it happen? No. Has she changed? Yes. But that was supposed to happen. Change, much as most of us hate it, is good for us. Did she stop talking as much?  Yes. Is she moodier? Yes, sometimes. So now we shift gears and meet her where she is. 

First of all, find out when your teen wants to talk. For my daughter, it is late at night (which means we will need lots of coffee and oils in the morning!) She has a lot to say then. And it is good. And fun. We have had serious talks and silly talks depending on the day. We have found tv shows that we like to watch together. It is our time. We went clothes shopping last night and for the first time it was good. I let her choose what she wanted, stepped back and let her be in charge. Offered my opinion when she asked. Smiled when she twirled around in the dressing room being happy. Of course there are limits - some clothes are inappropriate! But within reason, let them grow and make some decisions for themselves.

Tell me if there are things you would like to talk about on this subject. Energy for yourself? Need sleep to deal with your teen? I am here to help. We are in this together!

Here we are.  The summer is over and school is about to start. Or maybe for you it has started back already.  We have almost two weeks left before our kids go back. 

Lets talk some tips for back to school days. For those that do not know me, I have a 10 year old boy and a 15 year old girl. Last year of elementary and first year of high school. Craziness!  

One thing I have always encouraged with our kids is communication. We are getting to the age where there is a lot going on with them. They will see a lot of new things and be tempted by things. Think back to when you were that age! No topic should be off limits. 

While we are talking communication - remember - you only have one shot at a reaction. Watch your face. I have a super expressive face so I have to be careful. The more approachable and laid back you are the more likely they will come back to you to talk about other things. 

Stop being the fixer. Most times they just want a sounding board. It is super hard. I get it! Grab a snack with them, sit down and listen. 

I am sure everyone knows the get plenty of sleep and feed them well tip. It is worth reminding everyone. I am not as good as I should be about sleep because my kids are night owls and they talk most late at night. But my daughter totally shuts down if she has not had enough sleep. 

Last one for today. Organization is key. Take the time to help them set up an organization system in the backpack, locker, and where they work at home. Our school starts a binder system in 5th grade and it really helps them keep up with things, which leads to less stress!  

Here we go, let's do this year!