Journal Prompts #16: Cozy Corners
Spaces to feel, breathe, be, do you have one?
I have seen classrooms these days with a cozy corner for the children - be it in a corner of the classroom or right outside the class by the door’s entrance. A cozy corner is a soft place to land where kids can go to feel their feelings, take a moment of alone time or a space to gather their thoughts and breathe.
One of my children had one in her class and each person could bring in a photo of family or pets or favorite places and when they went to the cozy corner, they could pull out the picture - like a visual aid for your nervous system. My older kiddo had a red crushed velvet pillow in the shape of an oversized squishy square and laying on it was one of those water bottles full of glitter. Your shake the bottle and the glitter then takes it time to chaotically co-mingle back to the bottom of the bottle - kind of like our thoughts.
I loved both spots.
Some mornings at drop off, I wanted to sit down in the cozy corner and collect my own thoughts, feel my own feelings and watch the glitter in water. Alas, I never took a seat and rushed from one action to another.
How normal of me.
To rush to the next thing and the next thing upholding systems and society as we know it. *sigh
This month, my husband and I are supporting the kids to design cozy corners of their own inside our home. Each child will get to design a space in their room where they can go to be and feel and breathe. Big and fun beanbag chairs were high on list for cozy vibes. One of my children loves positive affirmations so post it notes and markers will be around. Another kiddo loves diaries - the ones with the locks and (tiny) keys, so some space to get pen to paper feels important even though she is just now learning to write, expression shows up often in many forms - like a hand drawn unicorn with six legs and I love it.
Even our youngest, at age 1 and 1/2 will have a cozy corner in her room. Our dear friend makes custom board books (she just gifted her one with a hand drawn mushrooms and well, I love it so much) so we will have those ready for her to explore in her corner of cozy.
It has me again asking myself, where do I go to feel my feelings? Do I wait until I explore or can I consider a space that support me and my nervous system, too? What about you?
Grab a pen, grab a page.
If you could design your own cozy corner, what would it look like, feel like? You can write it out or draw an impage. Psst….Beanbag chairs are for grown ups, too, you know?
What would you have at the ready in your cozy corner to help settle your nervous system or recharge it? Pillows, books, photos? A plant. A record player. Less?
Do you think you would use it? What time of day? How often?
Most likely a lot of cozy already exists in your house, what if you moved it all to a corner perhaps near a window? What’s stopping you?
RESOURCES:
READ:
The Magic of Cozy Corners for Kids by
The 8 Best Beanbag Chairs by Bianca Pineda
Cozy Corner Ideas & Inspiration on Pinterest
LISTEN: