Tiny Habits has Transformed our Family Life

Hello!

I was part of the first 6 week course in February and I am eager to stay engaged in this work.

I cannot express enough how much Tiny Habits has transformed our family life - particularly homeschool. I have been homeschooling two “2E” children (learning differences and gifted) for the last 5 years and your book was a turning point for us.

Not only do our kids have learning differences but I have complex PTSD which somedays feels like one too many labels with which to press forward.

Your book was truly a pivotal moment for me in regards to tackling what was a chronic feeling of overwhelm. So many inspired notes filled my journal as I made my first read through it. Then, at the new year I started sharing the book with my children as part of their studies. They, particularly our 11 year old son who has more than just a blush of ADHD, LOVED the book.

We immediately put it into action and our days radically transformed - mostly in regards to each day feeling like an “accentuate the positive” experience rather than a long tiring battle of addressing off track behaviors and watching everyone’s energy wilt and sense of connection diminish.

I had an aha moment with the experience last spring: for kids who grapple with BIG fluctuations in self-regulation and BIG energy, TINY is essential!

Our son’s favorite part of the book was “Shine.”

I realized upon reflection (with a few tears) that shine is one of his innate strengths and I can only imagine it is with many other children diagnosed with ADHD.

Our son LOVES to shine, for himself and for others, he is naturally exuberant and naturally so excited about life - and, sadly, this in-born gift is what I see our common culture, particularly in-the-box schooling, extinguish so early in the lives of kids with ADHD.

Applying Tiny Habits allowed our family to highlight our son’s ability to shine as a superpower.

I’ve been on the frontlines socially with him for 11 years, seeing the effects of the harsh reception of some of his more challenging executive functioning delays and telling him that he also has really important gifts that we all need him to bring forth. Last year your work help me prove to him that in the right environment, one built lovingly one tiny habit at a time, those gifts and wellbeing can radiate! Yay and thank you!

The place that Tiny Habits created the biggest transformation for us was yoga/mindfulness.

Before having a family I was a yoga therapist for a decade working with adults in recovery. I know first hand the benefits of yoga and mindfulness but was struggling with the chicken/egg scenario of helping my own children engage so that they could benefit from the practice which would become a positive reinforcement loop if we could just get it started!

As you can imagine breaking it down into a really tiny habit - finally was the “trick”. What made the biggest impression on me was just how GOOD our son felt after he would finish. I think that “shine” was the biggest of each day and I believe it was because he was reflecting back the feeling most people get after the experience the self-care of mindfulness. It was finally available to him because we made it bite sized.

When I finished the 6 week course last February the last note I had made from the zoom calls was to start a recipe box. I think this is a really important step since I can see how always staying curious and like a scientist (or a chef!) is so important especially working with kids who are developing and changing so quickly.

We are kicking off this homeschool year next week and we are starting that recipe box. We have theme days to our homeschool weeks and Tuesday is “Tackle It Tuesday” and we are going to dedicate a little time each Tuesday morning to reviewing our recipes and trying to add more where needed.

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Your work has been a game-changer in our journey. Thank you so very much.

I’ve shared Tiny Habits with many people in our lives - local therapists, OT, special education professionals. . .

I think now more than ever Tiny Habits could help a whole lot of hurting families and would love to be part of that helping…. Both myself, and my children, would love to be allies to other families…my son said he can teach a class in “Shine” for families that need it 😉 That was literally heart warming to me.

Please let us know if any opportunities arise for our area of interest in Tiny Habits and thank you for everything.

Caroline K.