- Paula Faris Official
- Posts
- PFO Newsletter - 05.23.24
PFO Newsletter - 05.23.24
What day is it, even? I doubt you’ll even notice that I’m a day late sending this…because May has become the busiest month of the year, more so than December. Thus, why it’s been dubbed “MAYCEMBER”. There’s just TOO MUCH GOING ON.
Graduations, end-of-year banquets, awards ceremonies, teacher stuff, performances, playoffs, field trips, end-of-school madness…what else am I missing? (tell me your thoughts in the comments section at the end of this email)
Gif by fallontonight on Giphy
There are a lot of new friends getting this email, so let me say WELCOME! So glad you’re here. And, I hope you’re surviving MAYCEMBER.
My kids are done with school TODAY. Which is bananas.
We wrapped up the majority of our sports seasons, too. But of course we went out with a bang this weekend: Track & Field, Volleyball and Basketball. It was a youth sports trifecta and our youngest got dragged around for all of it. Let’s give it up for those youngest siblings who have no say in the matter. :)
What do you think? Is May busier than December? |
Because there are way too many things going on, I encourage you to take a moment to BREATHE. Like right now. I want you to stop reading this email and breathe for a full minute. Deep breaths in and out.
….it hasn’t been a minute, yet.
Okay, now we’re good. :)
When we’re overwhelmed, it’s good to BREATHE and then MOVE.
That’s something I was reminded of in this week’s podcast conversation with therapist David Thomas, as we talked about making sense of tween and teen boys, plus how we need to regulate before we react to anything. We shouldn’t react before we regulate and we regulate ourselves by breathing and moving.
This conversation with David was such a gift…I honestly cried tears of joy and relief because I’ve had a difficult time connecting with my boys. One of them recently told, “Mom, you just don’t get me.” 😥 David helped make sense of what’s happening in each stage of a boy’s development and why we need to extend their runway to age 25, plus the importance of oversight and supervision with boys, and why they’re hardest on their moms. Next week, we’re answering all your questions about tween and teen boys…you need to share this with anyone who has tween and teen boys in their lives. David is INCREDIBLE.
Next time we connect, I’m going to share some personal stories about how my husband and I have become equal partners in life and at home, plus something really extraordinary and rare he did for me that needs to be celebrated.
You’ve got this. May is almost over. Remember to BREATHE and MOVE.
Hugs,
Paula
FARIS FAVORITES 🤎
1. Your New Life Hack! 🫑
I love this tip on how to slice a pepper with absolutely no waste or mess! Not sure why it’s taken so long to figure this out.
2. What I’m Eating 🌮
Another three-ingredient meal, because that’s what you’ve come to expect from me. Simple and stupid easy. My friend Lindsay (she’s the cook in the relationship) sent me this yummy recipe, which we’ll call “I DON’T HAVE TIME TO COOK.“
You’ll need: FOUR chicken breasts, ONE jar of your favorite salsa and ONE pack of taco seasoning.
Dump it all in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on low. Shred it. Put in flour tortillas, hard taco shells or over a bed of lettuce and dress it up with all your fixings! Maybe you can throw some of those beautiful bell peppers on it, now that you know how to slice them better. :)
3. What I’m Reading 📖
David Thomas, whom I mentioned is my guest this week and next on the podcast, wrote a fabulous new book called Raising Emotionally Strong Boys. Want a copy? I’m giving away 5 copies to the first 5 people to DM me with their mailing address.
Too Good Not to Share 😘
Because we’re talking about MAY-hem, the crazy month of May, share this with someone in the thick of it.
THE PAULA FARIS SHOW 🎙️
 Making Sense of Tween and Teen BoysDavid Thomas, the Executive Director of Daystar Counseling is joining the conversation to help us make sense of tween and teen boys. (I have cried tears of joy and relief since talking with him!) This is the first of two episodes in which we’ll discuss what’s happening in the boy brain, their different stages of development, how we can best support them, and why we need to extend their runway to age 25. |  Three Steps to Creating the Life You LOVEOne of the scariest, yet best things our family did was moving from NYC to a small town in South Carolina in 2020. Has there been a lot of GAIN in our life because of it? Absolutely. But, there’s also been a lot of things we’ve GIVEN UP because of it. We’ve created a life we love and my guest today, Stephanie May Wilson, is going to take us through three steps to help you create a life you love, as well. |
Your feedback from last newsletter’s poll…
In our last poll, 67% of you said you should NOT give your kids a safe space to drink. Here are some of your thoughtful responses.
➡️ Growing up, our parents offered a sip of beer or wine to "try" so it was never a forbidden fruit. As the kids got closer to drinking age and we knew they would have access to it, we allowed or offered it (In small amounts) with the reasoning that we rather you do it with us in a safe space rather than trying to get it all in somewhere outside of the home.
➡️ What does “safe space” mean? You should not allow kids to host drinking parties in your home. Above all, kids should be educated about not drinking or getting high and drive. Kids must know that they can call parents to get them out of risky situations.
➡️ My brother started drinking in his early teens and died at age 50 of alcohol-related illness. As a result of watching him from a young age, I don't drink at all and never have.
➡️ Model the behavior at home; talk about it; perhaps allow that small drink with Sunday dinner or special occasions.
➡️ Seeing the difference in culture around drinking in America vs Australia has really made me open to the idea that parents should be a safe space -I’ve seen it done so well in Australia (where the legal drinking age is 18). I just think the drinking culture in general is SAFER in Australia because of people not being so in the dark on the subject. Even the accountability with ensuring your friends don’t drink and drive is so much better there; it’s fascinating!
Reply