This text is part of the special book Plaisirs
There is electricity in the air! As October 31 approaches, children young and old get excited. And not just because they’re going to stuff themselves with candy; context also matters a lot. Here are some suggestions to reduce (a little) the agitation in the house.
Inhale Exhale
It’s been proven: slow, deep breathing can help calm us (and our children and grandchildren as well). How ? Thanks to a group of 175 neurons, demonstrated a few years ago already a team of neuroscientists from Stanford University, California. By making the bridge between the rhythm of our breathing and our brain, these neurons enjoin him more or less to relax his vigilance and relax. It’s quite simple!
Listen to music
Music, yes, but not just any song! So we trade our traditional list of Halloween music, which can tend to exacerbate overexcited spirits, for songs with a soothing rhythm. An example : Weightless, of the English trio Marconi Union. A small study by the British Academy of Sound Therapy even came to the conclusion that this piece is more effective than other so-called relaxing music for calming things down. Notice to stressed people: a long version (10 hours!) is even available on YouTube! A perfect soundtrack to liven up our Monday Halloween night!
Go walking
Halloween celebrations, like the holiday season, have become a pretext for an overabundance of inflatable structures, light garlands and other animated skeletons. We therefore take the opportunity to go around the neighborhood with family or friends, a short walk that will at the same time allow us to spend a little of the overflow of energy.
Cook our pumpkins
We love pumpkins because they create fabulous fall decorations, but above all because they allow us to cook delicious recipes. Children can also get their hands dirty and help us to empty and decorate our cucurbits, then to simmer good little dishes that will warm us up over the next few weeks: soups, muffins, cakes and cookies lend themselves particularly well to this. . On her blog Cinq Fourchettes, Nancy Bordeleau even recommends preparing our pumpkin purée in large quantities, then storing it in the freezer. That’s a good idea!
Take care of the little ones
The children are so excited thinking about their imminent harvest of treats that they can’t stay still? We change their minds – and, as a result, we help them to wait – by offering a calmer activity, a board game, for example. Avoid if you want to limit the decibels: games of the Operation or Perfection type, which risk causing the opposite effect! We can also offer the youngest a story hour with a Halloween theme.
Let go
The best advice from meditation teacher Madeleine Arcand, also co-founder of the Rose Buddha brand and experienced mom? “Letting go and letting go. We know they’re going to eat too much candy and it’s not good for them, but… is it really a big deal? Children must always listen to instructions: not to shout, not to jump, to sit all day behind a desk, to brush their teeth, to do their homework and so on. On Halloween, I say, ‘Do whatever you want!
This special content was produced by the Special Publications team of the To have to, relating to marketing. The drafting of To have to did not take part.