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The Floppy Sleep
Game Book

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

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January, 2007

A Time to Dream

Last month, caught up in the hustle bustle of the holidays, I told myself that in January I’d get back on track and zealously pursue my goals with renewed enthusiasm and determination. But instead, I’ve spent most of the month dreaming and making plans for the upcoming year. I began to question why I hadn’t been able to ‘buckle down’ and accomplish more.

In an informal survey of my friends, I discovered that they were also getting the year off to what seemed like a slow start. I began to realize that most of us need some down time to regroup after the holidays. But at the same time we feel pressured to get a lot done and start the year off productively. It’s important to remember that there are many ways to be productive. While sometimes it involves taking action, at other times it takes the form of quiet reflection, dreaming, and planning.

Like all living creatures, our natural predisposition is to ebb and flow with the cycles of nature. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, January’s cold, short days and long winter nights are a natural time to hunker down and hibernate inside our cozy homes—as we turn inward and embrace the darkness.

Although we may initially feel as if we’re just wasting time, this invaluable period may very well fuel the flame that keeps us moving towards our dreams throughout the year. After all, if we take off on our annual adventure without reflection, our new year’s itinerary is likely to bear a striking resemblance to the previous year’s, including run ins with the same detours, potholes and roadblocks. But if we take the time to look back and reflect upon last year’s accomplishments and disappointments, we can choose whether or not we want to change our itinerary. We can consciously decide whether we want to go in the same direction, choose new paths and destinations, or simply avoid the detours, roadblocks and potholes that waylaid us last year.

Love,

Take some time to reflect upon the previous year and dream about the incredible possibilities that await you this year.

Make a list of some of the things that you’re pleased about. Think about the people that you were kind to or helped. Revel in your successes, acts of kindness, and accomplishments. Encourage your children to do the same. They may enjoy drawing pictures of themselves in all their glory as they accomplished something wonderful.

Reflect upon the things you wanted to accomplish, but didn’t. Do you recognize a lack of passion or excitement? Is it a goal that you would still like to attain? If so, try to reframe it, putting the same excitement into planning for it as you would for your favorite activity.

Sometimes we continually struggle to achieve the same goal, year after year. The idea that we will fail yet again becomes ingrained in our psyches and actually keeps us from attaining it. Oftentimes, a misguided belief that we acquired about ourselves as children, continues to limit us. If so, it may be helpful to think of something wonderful that you’ve accomplished, using it as a metaphor for your more challenging aspirations. This can also be a great way to encourage a child. For instance, if your child struggles with shyness, but is great at baseball you can say, a boy who hits a homerun can introduce himself or a boy who hits a homerun can make a new friend.

If you’re feeling less than ambitious this month, you may simply be in perfect harmony with the season. So go with the flow: relax, kick back, and enjoy a wonderful time of peaceful reflection and renewed hope.

Create a Treasure Chest of Dreams.
(Excerpt from the Floppy Sleep Game Book by Patti Teel)

This can be a fun activity for both you and your child. It helps you and your child to focus on the things you want, thereby attracting and allowing them into your lives. As an added benefit, you will get to know yourselves and each other better.

Help your child to find a box to decorate. Even better, find two boxes—one for yourself and one for your child. Each of you will be cutting out or drawing pictures to go into your box. Anything you desire can be placed into the box (the Treasure Chest of Dreams): pictures of places you want to visit, fun activities, or things you want to do or have.

Anytime, during the day or night, you and your child can drop pictures into your respective “treasure chests.” If your children are old enough, they can write down things they want to be have, or achieve.

From time to time you and your child can look back through your boxes. You are likely to realize how many of your dreams have already come true. You can always reach into the dream box and get an idea for a story or visualization to tell your child. Remind your children that the treasure chest is filled with wonderful things to think about as they drift off to sleep.

Variation: If your child enjoys artistic activities, make a collage together and hang it on the bedroom wall. Each of you will cut out and draw pictures of places you want to go, things you want to do, achieve, or have. Best of all, you can always add to the collage as new desires arise.