Stop and stare

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Stop and stare Journaling guide - 1. Take a few deeo, grounding breaths. Soften the gaze. Where does it land? Take a mental or actual snapshot of that frame; as if holding up a magnifying glass. 2. Describe the scene; the textures, light, sound, scents, either in words or sketches. Notice that which gets overlooked. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Machine Me Journaling guide - 1. Imagine you can create a machine to replace you [we mothers are irreplacable, but just imagine]. How will it look? What abilities will it possess? 2. Using cut outs from magazines, newspapers, catalogues, pens, paints and/or penciles, create a collage of how this machine will be or function. Have fun with it! Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Post-it note mantras Journaling guide - 1. Creating your own mantra helps you cope as parents and look for the positive in uncertain times. It can also inspire others. 2. Add to post-it notes: Positive attitudes, such as hope, gratitude and growth. A value that you want to embody, such as kindness, compassion and patience, self-care and self-love. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Moments Journaling guide - Think about a joyful and a hard parenting moment you had with your kids today. Close your eyes and draw pictures of how your body feels when you think of these moments. Open your eyes, add to the pictures with words, textures and marks. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Creative Doodling Journaling guide - Choose a biro or pen and cover a page with doodles. Take coloured pencils or pens and start colouring in sections. Add words that relate to how you are feeling. Add other decorative marks with different coloured pens. Carry on adding until you are happy with the results. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Layers of Support Journaling guide - 1. Consider all the things that support your current mothering, pregnancy, birthing, parenting role. This might include people, objects, rituals or experiences (eg. friend, sling, prayer, nature) 2. Draw a small circle surrounded by increasingly bigger circles. Use words, images or both inside the circles to describe your 'layers of support'. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at https://mybirth.org.uk/ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Rainbow Reflections Journaling Guide - 1. Draw a 6 or 12 strip rainbow in black and white. Write any affirmations you used in pregnancy and/or birth in between the lines. 2. Create a clour rainbow, as above. In each row, write your current affirmations; I am, I can, I will etc. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Poetry Shuffle Journaling guide - 1. Open one of your favourite books at a random page. Select a sentence from that page and then make a poem by reshuffling and rearranging the words. 2. Write it in your journal. If you like, you could add drawings and scribbles. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Who I was, am and want to be Journaling guide - Think about your past, present and future as a mother or parent. What are your hopes, fears and aspirations? At the top of three separate pages, write - 'past', 'present' and 'future' PAST: Write as much about yourself as possible from before you were pregnant or became a parent, especially the bits you don't want to forget. Find out more about My Birth Support CIC and Maternal Journal at ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk/⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠

Grab some playdough, colours and paper. You, or you and your little one(s) can enjoy these relaxing Maternal Journal guides together! Self Love Journaling guide - Draw, create or write a self-portrait which celebrates the things you love about yourself. Be surrounded by your favourite things and create positivity. Find out more about My Birth Support CLC at: ⁠https://mybirth.org.uk⁠ Thank you to Maternal Journal for making this guide available. Find out more about Maternal Journal ⁠here⁠ A video version of this relaxing guide is available on YouTube ⁠here⁠ Our other podcasts and freebies are available on Linkt.ree ⁠here⁠