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Saturday 19 January 2013

Blossom's Big ideas On Life


Blossom’s Big Ideas On Life

In 2012 when Blossom was 7 years old and homeschooled she in her mirroring of me said, “Mummy if you can write a book so can I”! We explored the concept of writing a book and we’ve now completed this process. Yay! We still have the edit to undertake but nonetheless we have done it! Next stage is getting it published!

We worked on the chapters that Blossom developed and have created a book all about life from a 7 year olds perspective. Blossom chose all the chapter titles and I ‘interviewed’ Blossom in order for her to give me her thoughts about subjects like war, the government, bullying, friendships, difference, deafness, parenting *hangs head in shame* (as my nag-bagging is mentioned), the amazing world of street dance, life and death and more.

Once I had all of her thoughts recorded I set about putting them down. We completed this as a way of exploring life through the lens of a 7 year old and we wanted to explore Blossom’s thoughts about some HUGE subjects.

Here’s a little extract from her adorable little book.

If you’re a kid or a grown up you may well be interested in my big ideas on life. These views are my own. I have thought about all of the subjects in this book and I think we all should. My views will have been influenced by my life experiences, the way in which I have been parented and the things I pick up along the way. I learn from my mum and dad, reading, talking to others and from the television, (also known in our house as the idiots lantern)! A phrase my mum heard a few years ago. We call it the idiots lantern as from time to time, we all (yes all of us) get sucked into watching the television. It’s like the television transforms itself into a giant Dyson and captures our imaginations! My mum says maybe we should think more about people and the world in which we live and not staring for hours on end at repeat episodes of Tracy Beaker.

Blossom was a Bollywood dancer for 3 years. She came first in the local championships!

Thank you to all of the children who have contributed their thoughts and their amazing drawings for Blossom’s Big Ideas On Life. We very much appreciate all of your efforts.  

The importance of being seen


The importance of being seen

From the moment a baby is born, it has an innate drive to be held, contained, heard and wholly observed, this for me encapsulates the concept of being ‘seen’.


Being seen helps you to connect with your baby and supports your baby to connect with you.  Being seen will also help in your understanding of your baby. If you observe carefully you will begin to recognise YOUR baby’s non-verbal signs and signal, cues and clues. After a while you will begin to see a pattern to your baby’s expressions and you will be able to comprehend these expressions to understand what is being experienced or what is desired.

Observation to this degree is available to most of us and it is this simple idea that will support you to understand more about your baby’s wants, needs, desires and feels.

In addressing your baby’s non-verbal cues and clues you will be given so much information. How often have you looked at your baby and asked, “What is it sweetie? Why are you crying? Are you hungry? Are you ready for a nap? Does your nappy/diaper need changing? You may well go through a number of possibilities before you actually get to the bottom of what is ‘wrong’.

Babies often display cues and clues that will help you decipher what is ‘wrong’. Is the skin beneath their eyebrows darker? This may well indicate tiredness. Is your baby poking its tongue in and out? If so, what is it they looking for? Is it milk? If your baby is wriggling and shuffling, are they telling you they are uncomfortable in their nappy?

Keep your eyes open and ‘listen’ on a multi-sensory basis. You will be amazed by what your baby is telling you and often times they will tell you way before they reach the crying stage.





Happy observing!

Dr Vivien Sabel UKCP MBACP
Author of The Blossom Method™ The Revolutionary Way To Communicate With Your Baby From Birth
Mum/Relational Psychotherapist/Clinical Supervisor/Researcher/Author