Have you ever wondered why your child is not their normal, bright self even though they are not physically ill? Kim John Payne, author of Simplicity Parenting, has named this illness “soul fever”. He spends chapter 2 identifying what this means, how to spot it, and how you can treat it. I enjoyed his progression of moving through the “soul fever” to help your child back to their normal, bright self. The key is simplification of routines, connection, love, and parental presence. He says it best on page 39:
“This book is my best attempt to answer “What can we do about it?” It’s a question that so many of us ask ourselves. The truth is, what we do, instinctually, to care for our children when they’re sick could be boiled down to this: we simplify. This is exactly what we need to do when they are overwhelmed; stretched thin and stressed out by the effects of having too much stuff, too many choices, and jumping through their days too fast. It is also what we need to do when their fever is emotional rather than physical. Emotional growing pains, our soul fevers, are as natural and inevitable as the common cold, and can be “treated” in remarkably similar ways. Simplification gives children the ease they need to realign with their true selves, their real age, and with their own world rather than the stress and pressures of the adult world.”
Join the discussion on API’s online book club, GoodReads for free. Register today for the API Live teleseminar with Kim John Payne that is happening on October 19th at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST. Purchase Simplicity Parenting at Amazon helping API earn a 4% commission off of your purchase.
