Dear Friend,

When making your holiday gift list, I invite you to consider giving my recordings or The Floppy Sleep Game book and CD. These gifts are sure to delight both children and their parents!

Parents love the fact that my recordings help their children learn to relax, cope with stress, and independently fall asleep. And kids enjoy them because they’re fun!

The Christmas Dream

Click here to listen to a sample.

Purchase now!

In The Christmas Dream CD, children learn to relax by taking part in reindeer flight training. Then, they travel all around the world with Santa, learning to appreciate our beautiful world and to care for all people.

“…Themes of unity, love and world peace are prevalent as the plot takes sleepy-time children on a trip around the world. Although adults may limit its use to Christmas time, children are not likely to tire of hearing this calming fantasy year-round. A beautiful tool for children who struggle to fall asleep, parents will appreciate this title for the relaxation skills it teaches.”
- School Library Journal

The Inside-Out Blessing Game

Click here to listen to a sample.

Purchase now!

This CD ties in with the theme this month’s newsletter. Throughout the recording a gentle song reminds children to be appreciative, to look inward, and to give and receive love. Slowly breathe in and out, slowly breathe in and out. Inside out, outside in, send love out and bring it in.

"Patti Teel's recording encourages children to open their hearts and minds to let good thoughts and love flow. In a child-like manner it teaches children to go inside themselves to discover love, gratitude and reverence."
- Deepak Chopra

The Floppy Sleep
Game Book

A Complete Guide for Parents on children's Sleep and Relaxation

You can learn more about the book and order it via our website by clicking here.

Or you can order through Amazon.com by clicking here.

If you received this from a friend or associate and would like to join our mailing list, just click here!

December, 2006

The Perfect Gift

Many people feel that holiday gift giving has become a burden, rather than a labor of love. In order to relieve what they’ve come to consider a burden, some people have eliminated it all together. While there’s no denying that overspending and excessive buying can be problematic, giving the perfect gift to someone you care about can be an opportunity to express your appreciation, affection, and love.

Some of you who have been subscribing to my newsletter for a period of time may recall that my mother’s light joined the heavens last February. This Christmas season there has been a large void as I’ve come to realize just how much I used to enjoy planning and shopping for Christmas gifts to delight her. Shopping for Mom was not difficult—she loved Christmas and never lost her appreciation for all kinds of pretty things. It was such a pleasure to give her special little gifts; clothing, jewelry, music boxes and all kinds of chatskies would light up her beautiful face.

But last Christmas, she was the one who surprised me with the perfect gift.

I didn’t think I’d get a present from Mom at all. Parkinson’s disease had ravaged her small frame and it was difficult for her to get up and out of her chair, let alone to leave the house to go shopping. In addition, Lewy Body dementia often left her disoriented and confused. And hardest of all for me to accept, there were times when she didn’t realize that I was her daughter.

My brother, who lived in the same city as Mom, did her Christmas shopping and a few days before Christmas my kids received a package containing Borders gift certificates. The package didn’t include a gift for me and I tried not to admit that I was disappointed. I told myself not to be such a baby and that Mom was beyond the point of being able to give Christmas gifts.

Then, on Christmas Eve, I received notification of a package that could be retrieved at the local post office. I couldn’t seem to douse the small flicker of hope that Mom had remembered me and somehow managed to have a present sent.

When I retrieved the package, I was excited to see that it had come from Mom. I barely made it to the car before eagerly ripping it open. Inside the small box, I immediately recognized the precious gift. It was the delicate gold necklace that my mother’s mother had given to her. I’d admired it since I was a young girl. My tears immediately began to flow as I realized that Mom had managed to send me the one gift that would let me know that deep inside, she still knew me. She was the only person who would have ever known how much this necklace meant to me. A year earlier, while visiting her, I’d once again asked to look at it—but Mom could no longer find it. And yet, she not only managed to find it, my brother later told me that she had been insistent that he send it to me. I wear the necklace every day and feel that it connects me to my Mom’s gentle spirit. To me, her Christmas gift was nothing short of a miracle.

Not every gift will be as poignant as the one I received last Christmas. But whether a gift takes the form of a card, time spent together, handicrafts, an heirloom, or a store-bought present, with thoughtful consideration of your recipient; gifts are an opportunity to express your affection and love.

Enjoy giving and receiving the many gifts of love this holiday season.

Love,

Patti

Ways to help our children take joy in giving as well as receiving:

Make Your Home a Sanctuary -- Children have a natural goodness and from a very early age, they enjoy giving pleasure to others. But if your kids watch television, realize that they are being targeted by savvy commercials which were designed to bring out their ‘gimmes.’ Make “quiet time” a part of your family's evening routine. Limit total screen time, including computer games, video games and TV. Instead, tell or read inspiring holiday stories, and listen to or sing holiday music.

Engage in Activity-Based Celebrations -- Throughout the holidays, engage children in simple holiday rituals such as making cards, decorations, cookies, or gifts. Consider letting each child select one activity for the whole family to do over the holidays.

Instill Compassion and Encourage Generosity -- Perform simple rituals that positively re-focus children's minds and energy on others such as lighting a candle for someone or saying a prayer for those in need. Have your children draw pictures for someone, help bake and deliver food, donate some of their clothes, toys or books, or visit an elderly person who needs companionship.

Blog Topic

In this newsletter, I wrote about how much my mother’s Christmas gift meant to me. More than just a pretty necklace, it represented to me that on a soul level, even though her mind her had been ravaged by dementia, my mother still remembered and knew me.

Have you received a gift that meant a lot to you? Or have you given a gift that touched someone’s heart? I invite you to ask your children as well. Please share stories of your favorite gifts, either given or received, and share it on my blog, Time Out with Patti Teel.

Some of you have had trouble blogging. Don’t feel alone, I’m just learning the ropes myself. Email us at admin@pattiteel.com if you need help.

A gift for you! I've recorded the following dream starter as a gift to your child. You are welcome to listen to it or download it at no charge at pattiteel.podbean.com

December Dream Starter: The Magical Card

Dream Starters are visualizations which promote relaxation, imagination and well-being as they guide children into the world of dreams.

Getting Ready

To prepare for these dream starters, (or visualizations), create a quiet comfortable atmosphere in which your child can relax.

Step One ~ Progressive Relaxation (Tensing & Relaxing Muscle Groups)

Have your child lie down in his bed. Have him lift each arm and leg individually, holding each limb tightly before loosely flopping it down on his bed. Then have him wrinkle his face and hold his eyes tightly closed, before relaxing his face. (Tense each muscle group for at least 5 seconds.)

Step Two ~ Focus on the breath

Have your child get very quiet and watch his own breath.

Step Three ~ Creative Visualization

Now that your child is relaxed, read (or tell) the following visualization. Of course, feel free to modify it according to your child’s age and interests.

The Magical Card

Christmas time is the perfect time for us to express our love to the people we care about. As you relax and close your eyes, think about someone who is special to you. It may be someone who does kind things for you—who helps you and cares about you. It could be your mom or your dad, grandma or grandpa, a friend, or anyone else you choose. Feel the warmth in your heart as you remember how this person makes you feel. Let the warm feeling spread throughout your entire body--from the tips of your toes, to the top of your head. (Pause)

With your eyes still closed, imagine making this person a card to show them just how much you appreciate and love them. Draw beautiful pictures of things that he or she likes. Use their favorite colors. The love that you put into the card makes it especially beautiful. (Pause)

Now you’re ready to imagine the best part—how happy the person is to receive your card and how much they enjoy looking at the pictures you drew. The happiness shows on their face and makes their eyes sparkle. (Pause)

After admiring the card, twinkling words magically appear along the bottom edge saying, add your own pictures and note and pass this card along to someone you care about.

The card is passed from person to person to person to person. Each child or grown up who receives the card feels happy and gets a warm feeling in his or her heart. The magical card grows bigger and bigger to make room for each person’s wonderful pictures and notes. Then, each person folds the card and gives it to someone else.

Sometimes the card is sent in the mail. Other times it is handed to someone. The card brings joy and happiness to many, many people. It travels all around the world. Years go by. And one day, the mailman brings you a very large box. When you open it, you find a gigantic card that has been folded over and over and over again. As you unfold the card, it spreads across your entire house and out the door. Enjoy looking at all the beautiful pictures and reading the kind notes. There are pictures of shimmering silver stars, colorful rainbows, magical unicorns, and sparkling Christmas trees. There are also angels, flowers, mountains, hearts, and much, much more. As you continue to unfold the card you finally discover the card that started it all--the one that you first made and gave away. Your goodness traveled all around the world and came back to you. Feel the warmth welling up within you. (Pause)

Once again, think of someone you care about. You can choose the same person that you first gave the card to, or someone else. Magically, the card expands to make room for you to draw a beautiful picture or to write a note. (Pause) Imagine giving the card to the person you chose. Once again, your heart grows warm as you think of the happiness you are giving.

One day, the card will come back to you again. And the goodness and love that each person adds to it will make it even more beautiful.

As you sleep and dream, be aware of your own goodness and the goodness of others.

Dream of all the different kinds of gifts you give and receive. Cards, presents, hugs, and kind words are gifts you can give to others and receive from others.

Enjoy giving and receiving gifts.

It’s as simple as breathing.

Breathing in, we receive.
Breathing out, we give.
Breathing in, breathing out.
Breathing in, breathing out.