The Parent Wind-down
Designed by Bearmore
Inspired by Sarah Ockwell-SmithFor when the day never seems to end.
Wind yourself down before you try to sleep. An evening Burst inspired by gentle-parenting author Sarah Ockwell-Smith, drawn from her writing about regulated parents making regulated homes.
The runsheet
Quiet tidy
Sarah's gentle-parenting work holds a message: regulated parents make regulated homes. A short tidy-up of the day's mess, in low light, without the radio. The act of tidying is help start the wind-down.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing tidying & cleaning (mindful) before eating (mindful)
This works well because eating mindfully in a clean space can feel more calm and satisfying with a fresh environment around you.
Hot drink, no screens
A real cup of tea or warm milk, sat down, phone in another room. Sarah writes about the parent's own wind-down being the bit nobody schedules.
15 min activityBearmore’s thoughts on doing eating (mindful) before breath work
This can be a good pairing because both involve awareness, so breath work feels like a natural extension of mindful eating.
Slow breathing
This is a simple practice she recommends for kids that works for adults too: long exhales, longer than the inhale. Five to ten minutes is enough to bring you down a notch.
10 min activityTime well spent.
54m that belonged to you — not the inbox, not anyone else.
The breakdown
Burst evaluation
Wellbeing focus
About this Burst
Sarah Ockwell-Smith is a British author and parenting expert specialising in gentle parenting, attachment and infant sleep. Her books include The Gentle Sleep Book, BabyCalm, and Because I Said So! She trained as a homeopath before moving into parenting work, and has six books published with Piatkus and Hachette.