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Cultivating Autumn Joy:  Simple Acts in Busy Times

The school year is well underway! On the heels of our monthly virtues of Respect and Responsibility, we welcome those of Hope, Joy, and Wonder as we move into the changes of Fall. The sights and sounds, scents, and flavors all blend into the abundance of activities that are the routines of our Crossroads students and families. Life is wonderfully busy, and it becomes easy to rush from one activity to the next without stopping to celebrate small victories that can bring great rewards. As you hustle through the scheduled activities of the season, I invite you to share in some very small practices that grow family connection. Cultivating joy is an important part of a virtues-led life, a great way to support your students as they experience the Crossroads curriculum, and a powerful tool for mental health and resilience. By practicing small acts of mindful celebration, families can teach children to find and savor positive moments and find happiness in the everyday journey. 

This month, I encourage you to try some of these small activities intended to be able to be tucked into small opportunities that might get overlooked. 

• “I Spy” for happy things:  On a walk or during errands, play a special version of “I Spy” that focuses on positive things, “I spy with my little eye something that makes me happy.” This helps children notice and focus on the small bits of good in their surroundings.

• Joy Jotting:  Encourage children to keep a record of joyful moments. It can be short!  Anything from a post-it note stuck to a mirror, inside a closet door, or on the fridge! This regular practice helps them reflect on positive experiences and reframe challenges, building up the habit of seeking the positive in things. 

• Music Meditation:  Students pick a song that brings them Joy. For three minutes, they should sit and simply listen to the music, focusing only on the rhythm, lyrics, and the feeling the song evokes. This helps them intentionally connect with positive emotions.

If these seem like just one more thing to add to an already busy day then try establishing family check-ins. Establishing regular brief family check-ins can significantly boost family connection and individual mental health. When families openly discuss emotions, it normalizes conversations about mental wellness and builds trust. Check-ins provide opportunities for parents to notice subtle changes in mood and behavior before they become larger issues.  They increase the self-awareness of all family members and reinforces a supportive family dynamic where everyone feels heard and valued.

Some creative check-ins are:

In the car:

• Stoplight Gratitude: At each red light, challenge each family to share one thing that they are grateful for or one joyful moment from their day. Get creative with the challenge!
• Mindful Listening: Turn off the radio and try a few minutes of quiet. Challenge everyone to listen for different sounds – traffic songs, nature, birds, wind, rain, and share what they hear.  This practice boosts focus and presence.  

During dinner: 

• Highs, lows (and joy):  The sharing of one specific joyful moment after the share of the “high and low” of the day directs the conversation toward a celebratory feeling.

• Mindful Eating:  Take a moment to pause before you eat. Say a quiet grace or simply look at the meal and appreciate the effort that went into preparing it. Or consider the food’s journey or how it appeals to your senses.

Morning/Evening/Bedtime:

• • Beginning and ending the day with your family with a brief  breathing exercise, taking Three collective breaths helps to set a calm and joyful tone for the day. 
  •  Positive  intention: Setting a positive intention for the day alongside your child(ren) sets up a positive expectation for the day and creates a great conversation opportunity at the end of the day. Something as simple as, “I intend to smile at five people” or “ I intend to stay calm if something goes wrong” is empowering and focuses on the positive.

• The “good thing” recap:  Bedtime presents a wonderful opportunity to ask your child to recall their favorite moment from the day. It is a wonderful way to close out the day and encourage positive dreams.

In all of the changing seasons of family life I hope that you are able to cultivate some “Autumn Joy,” in small moments and observations as we partner in guiding and supporting “Strong Minds, Kind Hearts,” and Joyful families.