Archive for August 2025

Children live naturally in the present moment until they learn to worry about tomorrow or regret yesterday. They give their full attention to whoever is in front of them, to whatever they’re doing right now.
Spend five minutes observing how children engage with the present moment. Notice how they can be completely absorbed in play, how they listen with their whole bodies, how they respond to what’s happening now rather than what might happen later.
Write for fifteen minutes about a character who discovers the magic of deliberately paying attention to this moment, this person. Let them find that presence is the greatest gift they can give—to others and to themselves.

For five minutes, think about a time when you limited your own possibilities because you decided something was “too hard” or “not for someone like me.” Capture both the discomfort and the discovery of what could have happened if you had believed in a bigger version of yourself or what you could create.

Now create a child character who’s stuck in safe, familiar patterns but who has an experience that “disorients” them. What small brave choice opens a whole new world for them?

Let your character discover that the scariest and most wonderful thing is allowing themselves to believe in bigger possibilities.

Knowing left from right is important for functioning in the world. It’s one of those distinctions that is everywhere—reading and writing, spatial orientation.
For some children, left and right feel like an unsolvable riddle—the more they think about it, the more confused they become.
Spend some time researching creative methods that help children master the concepts. Look up tricks that teachers use, games that work, or physical activities that make the difference click.
Write for fifteen minutes about a character who struggles with left and right in ways that matter—maybe they get lost easily, feel embarrassed in gym class, or can’t follow directions. Then let them have a breakthrough moment. Perhaps they finally “get it” by learning an instrument, playing a sport, or through their grandmother’s knitting needles. Show how mastering left and right makes them feel and enables them to move through the world with confidence.

The heaviest burdens can become lighter when we look beyond ourselves. Children often understand this—they offer their favorite toy to a crying friend, they notice when someone sits alone.

Think of a time when you were completely absorbed in your own worries, unable to see beyond your problems. Describe that tunnel vision feeling. Now recall a moment when becoming aware of someone else’s problems opened up your perspective and made your own troubles feel smaller. Describe that feeling.

Write for fifteen minutes about a character who discovers that the best medicine for their own sadness, fear, or frustration is noticing someone else who needs kindness. Don’t make it preachy or simple—explore how genuine care for others can genuinely heal our own hearts.