"If we don't stop to celebrate the growth, we risk unintentionally keeping our kids in a constant state of growth, and taking the joy out of the journey."
Let's pause before June hits us in the face.
Before the end-of-year chaos kicks in and it all blurs straight into summer.
This week, I want us to look back. Not at what's unfinished, at what grew.
Why This Matters
I often talk about the Growth and Mastery Cycle from my Friendship Foundations Mini-Course.
- There is a period of growth. Then a period of mastery. They alternate.
- The mastery period is when skills stop being borrowed from someone else's playbook and become truly the child's own.
- If we skip the reflection/mastery and keep pushing forward, we can unintentionally block that mastery period from happening.
SIMPLE BUT NOT EASY to remember, especially when you are overwhelmed.
So, let's do this here before summer. Together, let's look back at this past year.
Looking Back to May 2025
For your child: think about what you actually SAW this year:
✨ Something your child started doing that is new
✨ Something your child got better at doing
✨ Something your child was willing to try, even though it was new and hard
For you, the parent:
✨ Something you were able to slow down and enjoy in the middle of the chaos
✨ Something you noticed, because you were paying closer attention this year
✨ Something you feel proud of yourself for
Next newsletter, we'll talk about looking ahead; setting meaningful intentions for the summer.
But not yet. This week, let's just sit with this.
💬 Hit reply — what's one thing you and/or your child did this year that you don't want to forget?
I love hearing from you!!
NORIKO'S NOTES: sharing my life's simple joys💜
Any other jigsaw puzzle lovers out there?
It had been a few years but I recently started working on my puzzles again and I am OBSESSED. You probably figured by now that I will often harness my hyperfocus superpowers for various tasks and I've been using it for my puzzles LOL. I find myself staying up way too late working on it despite knowing that is a bad choice!
I recently finished this one that my husband got for me last year; a family photo. Started a really interesting one called "The Forest Feast" from my sister.
I'm thinking of treating myself to a day of puzzles and binge watching season 22 of Grey's Anatomy today😹. What are you all doing today??
Thank you for letting me share my simple joy💜.
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Noriko Abenojar, MSW PPS
Parenting REdefined
Social and Cognitive Learning Center
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