Bravery, a Healthy Nest Recipe & a Dash of Spring
Tales from the Oak Table 14/52 - A springtime mix of parenting wins and seasonal fun.
This week brought a little life lesson I wasn’t expecting, and I wanted to share it here. I always appreciate when others open up about their parenting experiences, and this felt like one of those small, ordinary but important moments.
Our youngest has been struggling with feeling scared when left alone in a room. She follows us around the house, needing company even for the smallest of things. It means she won’t stay in her bedroom without her older sibling and often feels anxious if asked to fetch something from another room by herself. It’s something that’s been quietly building over time, and while it can be a little frustrating at the end of a long day, we try to remind ourselves (especially as she’s our fourth!) that this too is a passing phase.
This week, while listening to Mel Robbins’ audiobook The Let Them Theory, I had one of those little “ah-ha” moments. I realised we’ve been managing the anxiety for her by constantly travelling around the house alongside her to avoid the meltdowns. But what she really needs is support to feel empowered and to believe that she can handle the wobble.
That afternoon, something shifted. She ran upstairs, completely caught up in excitement about fetching something she wanted. She didn’t even realise no one else was up there. When she came back down, I made sure to celebrate it. I told her she was brave and capable, and she beamed. That evening, and again the next morning, she did the same thing, coming to me afterwards to proudly say, “I can do it!”
There’s still a long way to go until she’s happily hanging out in a room by herself, and that’s okay. We’re not in a rush. Baby steps are more than enough for me. I love that with each child, you keep growing and evolving, as both a parent and a person.
A Few Simple Seasonal Family Joys to Try This Week
Decorate for Easter
Bring seasonal magic indoors. Find a fallen blossom branch or snip a few pruned twigs, pop them in a vase, and hang small Easter egg decorations on the branches. Add a few spring blooms in jam jars or small posies around the house.
Egg Box Gifting
Save your old egg boxes and let the kids fill them with foil-wrapped eggs, little treasures, or hand-painted eggs. They can decorate the boxes and gift them to relatives over the Easter weekend.
Birds’ Nests Recipe
We made this from a recipe in the RSPB kids' magazine, and it was a hit! These no-refined sugar nests are perfect for a healthier Easter snack or breakfast.
Ingredients:
100g oats
50g butter
50g honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
35g mixed seeds
6 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Handfuls of fresh berries
(Optional: 30g chopped nuts)
Method:
Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C fan. Grease a muffin tray.
Mix oats, seeds (and nuts, if using) in a bowl.
Melt butter, honey, and vanilla in a saucepan, then pour over dry ingredients.
Spoon into the tray and press down to form nest shapes.
Bake for 12 minutes until golden. Loosen slightly, cool in the tray for 10–15 mins, then transfer to a wire rack.
Add yoghurt and berries to serve. Yum!
Journal Prompt: Let Something Go
Before Easter arrives, what’s something you could gently let go of? A habit, a to-do, a pile of winter woollens? I’ve started a bit of a seasonal refresh, swapping out the coats we haven’t worn for weeks and slowly replacing heavier items with spring ones. It feels like a breath of fresh air.
As I finish typing this, the doors and windows are open for the first time in the evening in what feels like forever. The birds are singing, the air is soft, and there’s that unmistakable hint of spring in the breeze. What a quiet little joy on a Friday evening.
Wishing you a weekend full of tiny moments that feel like magic.
With love,
Charlotte x
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