Only moms want to talk about constipation, and no one wants to deal with it, but it’s a common issue that affects many children. If your child is dealing with constipation, you know how uncomfortable and cranky it can make them feel. As a first time mom, my 6 month old had a lot of trouble when we introduce dairy to her diet. 13 years later, her little sister has similar issues. It's heartbreaking and frustrating because they are not themselves. It can be confusing if you don't know what's going on. For both of my girls, they were sweet as pie.... until they got backed up! Then the whole house was walking on eggshells until they pooped and we could all breath again. Fortunately, there are some helpful strategies that you can use to get your little one back on track. Here are some tips for helping kids with constipation.
Increase Fiber Intake
One of the best ways to help your child with constipation is to increase their fiber intake. Fiber helps move food through the digestive tract more quickly and prevents stools from becoming hard and dry. Aim to feed your child foods that are high in fiber like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and beans. Find out what fruit and veggies are your child's favourites and be sure to keep them on hand and offer them often. Cucumbers and peppers are popular in our home. In the winter, when fruit is not in season, I like to buy frozen raspberries and blueberries. My kids will eat them frozen or in a smoothy. Some people find Fiber supplements like Metamucil or Benefiber helpful but they never really worked well for us.

Drink More Water
Making sure your child stays hydrated is also very important when dealing with constipation. Water helps keep stool soft so it can pass through the intestines more easily. Encourage your child to drink plenty of water throughout the day and avoid sugary beverages like soda or juice as these can make things worse by dehydrating them even more.

Encourage Exercise
Exercise is another great way to help reduce constipation in children as physical activity stimulates the digestive system and encourages regular bowel movements. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day—a bike ride around the neighborhood or playing tag in the basement are both great options!  For little ones, tummy massage may also help. Massage the tummy gently, in a clockwise motion.
If these options don't quite cut it for you, you may need to take some extra steps to support your little ones tummy. Both of my girls have benefited greatly from introducing pro-biotics, digestive enzymes and essential oils.

Constipation can be an unpleasant problem for kids that often leads to tears and tantrums, (both mom and kid) but there are some simple strategies you can use to help them feel better fast. Increasing their fiber intake, making sure they stay well-hydrated, and encouraging exercise are all great ways to help ease their discomfort and get their bowels moving again. With a few small changes and extra snuggles from you, your little one will be feeling better in no time!

I saw this image the other day and it hit me smack between the eyes. I had been asking for direction on how to balance all the things, making meals for a family of 6, sorting the piles of laundry, planning youth group for my oldest, dance for my youngest, and birthday parties for both my sons, volunteering in the community and then there's my work: the never ending emails, the work plans and schedules, goal setting and team building. For years I've been seeking to figure out how to balance it all because,

All of it matters. 

I can't just cut out the things that I don't love to do. All of these things need to be done.

By nature, some of us are “go with the flow” kinda people. We find plans rather restrictive and we  are not great at time management. I actually set a timer for 5 minutes the other day, for the kids to finish their video game, and when it went off, I was like 

"THAT'S 5 MINUTES??" 

no wonder I'm usually late! For people like us,  living in surrender, actually comes more naturally.
It’s easy for me to say things like

 “if it doesn’t work out, it’s not meant to”

 

But the trap of living in this state of surrender is CHAOS. Tell me I’m wrong.

A few years ago I was told that what I needed to do was to learn skills and discipline, that this would give me peace. And there are some major skills that have helped me immensely as a wife, a mother, a business owner and a human. (here's one) My home is more organized, my kids have a better idea about what is going on each day and no longer live at the whims of their mother… mostly. 

But the trap of living in this state of discipline striving and exhaustion. Tell me I’m wrong.

Have you ever found yourself, like me, waffling between chaos and striving? The problem is, we need both.

We need both Discipline & Surrender. 

When we have one without the other surrender looks and feels like chaos.

And discipline looks and feels like striving and exhaustion.

and peace is OUT OF REACH!



But when we bring them together, when we are both disciplined and surrendered, this is where we find peace. 

And this is where we being to see miracles in our home and business!