I don’t know about anyone else, but as a parent, I have found myself in “what now?” mode, often over the years.

Navigating the tumultuous seas of small person rearing is not for the faint of heart. Nor is there much of an opportunity to step back” and observe the situation, as you would with a painting or sketch, to gain a better understanding of what is needed in the moment. This is where our own intuition is key to moving forward.

Our mini-masterpieces are relentless in their growth, their needs and their ability to have you question your every move, some days.

In truth, the more I have let my kids teach me, and lead me, in what their needs are, and who they are as beings, the “what now” moments dissipate.

In light of this, here are the three things I feel I have learned repeatedly from my magnificent offspring, after nearly 18 years of motherhood.

1. They know and understand more than we give them credit for, from a very young age and they have an innate connection to Source/Higher-self that we have long since lost, and often a more pure and authentic link to where we have come from. Allow them to teach you. Often

2. They are more capable than we allow them to be, given the chance.

3. They are deeply magickal and magnificently uninhibited by society's “norms” that have us question our magick.

For many of us, as we step into our Kraft, or onto our path, we are faced with perhaps having to actually sturdy our belief in magick. It may sound silly, but I have encountered many new witches that feel uncertain if “magick is real”.

The joy of practicing with children is that:

THEY BELIEVE

With every fiber of their being. They KNOW that magick is real. There’s no question. Most certainly the wee ones, that haven’t had their open hearts and minds wiped clean by society and the media mangle we face daily.

* I am currently working on a piece for my own blog, that explains how I have approached my children about faith, belief, and their own life paths, as individuals, and it’s not a subject I believe should be taken lightly, or given little consideration.

That said, I’m not here to police your approach to parenting, nor how you will decide on when or if you will share your path with them. That's' all on you.

I am willing though, to share with you how I have found and created ways to build bridges to cross over into each other's realms with love and respect.

Coercion or force are nothing I will abide by. My babies will choose their paths of their own accord, having been given as many opportunities to experience and learn about the faiths and paths of as many of earth’s inhabitants as I can teach, with respect and compassion.

That said, once at the decision to share your path with your children, there as so, SO many ways you can do so, in a fun, educational, exciting, inclusionary, and meaningful way, whilst still allowing them to explore other paths, should they wish.

For those looking to share their path, here are three REALLY simple ways I have and do still incorporate into our daily lives to help connect my littles to the magickal realm:

Meditation

Not easy with very little ones, no. But with patience (HUGE PATIENCE. Huge… did I mention huge? lol) and modeling my own meditation practice, I have had my little men doing so (in a very basic way) since about age 16 months and two and half respectively.

Now, before you say “I bet they are just really chilled, naturally”- they are NOT angelic and quiet/still or passive beasties. Quite the opposite. Most certainly when they were toddlers, chaos was the order of the day. Every day. All-day.

Our middle son is auditory, sensory seeking, with Autism. Quiet, and still were NOT on the menu, ever. So I feel you if it is a circus at first, and just urge you all to be as patient and flexible as you can manage. It takes time folks. Lots of it.

We came to just being as still as we could, with suitable, soft music on (think Agnes Obel or Aurora - not lullaby music, as you want them to see this time as awake/conscious time, not actually a nap time) or just use the nature/sample sounds in Insight Meditation app, even the free version is fantastic.

Model sitting cross-legged, if you are comfortable that way - kids LOVE to copy big folk. Take long slow breaths. Talk them gently through doing so. Make certain your tone is soft and gentle. I found that my boys would quieten to actually hear what I was saying softly, rather than maraud.

Even if you only manage a moment or two of this, before they are climbing all over you, or dashing about yelling again, it’s PERFECT.

Don’t get annoyed or show irritation if the moment blows out (it WILL, and that is totally ok). This needs to always be done in a gentle and non-forced or coerced way. They will slowly grow to see and love, that being still and calm, will mean softness, cuddles, and connected time with you.

Most littles crave that kind of time with their parents, and most of us are hesitant to be able to make that time in our fast-paced lives. But the benefits of being able to be calm and meditative together are unbelievable! (again, in time, not right away)

Allow them to sit on you, or touch you if they need or want to. Essentially, in life, we act as lightning rods for our babies as it is. We are their grounding. So in moments like this, gentle touch, holding hands, sitting in your lap, hearing how you breathe or even rocking, may help.

Stay realistic.

Keep it short, you can add time as they get older and learn to be calm in these moments, and don’t shy away from explaining why you are trying to meditate, and have them meditate too. Kids really do appreciate us including them in what we are doing, and why we do it.

It works towards your trust bond with them.

A “spell about the Elements” created by our five year old

Potions

Some carefully selected rocks, twigs, leaves, flowers and other goodies procured out in nature, with perhaps a dash of glitter (I did with my daughter, haven’t with my boys, because my tolerance for glitter has waned over 18 years, lol) mixed up in a pot, or better still your own cauldron (it can be cleansed again after) will make your littles feel DEEPLY magickal and a part of your practice.

Encourage them to forage (it needs to be done safely, so keep an eye on what they select) and also ask them to consider why they are selecting each element of their spell or ritual. It helps them to begin to consider the powers of items they encounter.

Try not to correct their reasoning, this is THEIR magick. There is plenty of time to learn “rules and norms” as they get older, should they wish.

If they seem keen to know more from you though, ask if they want guidance when foraging/selecting items and then teach freely as to what items they can use for which purpose, if they accept.

If not, you must honor their will to create in semi solitude, with you present to keep things safe. Our youngest likes to interact as he creates. Quite the theatrical conjurer! Our older soul prefers his own time and space, but knows he needs to check in, and not use anything Mama or Daddy hasn’t seen first.

Remember to listen to them too.

*This part is crucial! Not just in magick. In every aspect of your lives. Children need a voice. They need to be able to express themselves in respectful and kind ways. We are the ones to teach them how that works. We cannot teach them, by silencing them at every turn. - (More on this soon too.)

My children have taught me VOLUMES about why they use certain ingredients in their spellwork and potions, and I have, with much success used their recommendations in my own spellwork.

NEVER discount the wisdom of children. Ever.

Tiny but powerful Potion Maker Mary-Anne, magnificent four-year-old daughter of Tim from @theseventhdoor (Instagram), is another beautiful example of how wee folk take to the creativity of potions as an expression of their power. I delight every time I see her in action on his IG stories. - (You can follow my fellow Witchswap writer, deeply talented diviner and family man Tim, for glimpses into the magickal world of his beautiful family, as well as Tarot Readings, Sea Rune readings and fantastic blog posts on his website.)

Because honestly, finding other witchy parents we can connect with can be a little trickier than chatting to other parents outside of school, amiright?

Burning bay leaves with personal sigils on them for Sabbats - Obviously, fire safety with little kids is a must!

Let them help you

I have not lost the plot, no. Yes, I hate the mess that comes with that too!

But learning IN practice is powerful.

And It's how we have taught in apprentice situations from the dawn of time.

So, literally, allow them to be a part of your practice, in ways that you feel comfortable.

• Allow them to forage with you, teach as you go. Can’t forage where you live? No worry, just head to your local nursery and teach them how the plants look anyway.

• Plant seeds and tend them with you

• Let them grind up ingredients that do not need to be enchanted, just bottled - my boys love this

• Let them choose stones or crystals for you (or them) to meditate with.

• Harvest veg/food with you, to better understand the process of the cycle of life and the seasons - The wheel of the year is something I will be writing about as a means to teach on my own blog.

• Blow out candles after simple spells you may feel confident having them there for.

• Preparing for sabbats and festivals with fun crafts or food prep - loads coming on my blog about this

• Even allow them a little altar space somewhere safe, that you can oversee, when they visit it, to dress up seasonally, or for Sabbats. It helps them grasp the Wheel quicker.

Read together

This is something we deeply believe in.

- THE WRITTEN WORD, PRINTED ON PAPER!-

Invest in some, beautifully illustrated children's books about witches and the Kraft. These are a HUGE hit in our home. I have sent many a happy hour reading them myself, over and over and delighting in the imagery!

I’ve checked in with our boys and we highly recommend the following books:

• Winnie the Witch, by Korky Paul and Valerie Thomas (there are many in the series)

• Which Witch’s Wand Works and the sequel When Witches Wands Won’t Work, by Poly Bertane

• The Friendly Witch By Rachel Elliot and Leo Broadly.

• The Wacky Book of Witches by Annie Civardi and Graham Philpot

• Witches by Colin and Jacqui Hawkins - (No suitable link found, apologies)

*PLEASE NOTE: We participate in Amazon affiliate marketing, which means if you buy something using one of these links, we will receive a small commission

All of my kids have spent hour upon hour pouring through all of these titles.

The Winnie the Witch books, and Wacky book of Witches have particularly wonderful and busy illustrations that seem to gift you a new surprise, each time you relook at a page.

I won’t lie, I have passed many happy hours with my face in these pages too.

To round out this first post on integrating your little folk into your practice more, I wanted to say that all things come with time. And that like the moon, interest waxes and wanes.

Be gentle, kind and respectful always when approaching your loves with your kraft, they will seek it out when and if they are drawn to, and in doing so, will have the right energy when they do

my heart to yours

Trace