Lalela Pastoral Counseling & Play Therapy

02/07/2025

01/07/2025

10/06/2025

05/06/2025

23/05/2025

Here’s something I tell every parent I work with.
When your child feels unseen, unheard, or emotionally unsafe—it doesn’t take much for them to hit overwhelm.

It’s not really about the wrong cup.
Or the sandwich you cut the “wrong” way.
Or the sock that suddenly feels unbearable.

Those are just the things that push them over the edge.
The outlet.
The final drop in an already full bucket.

What’s really going on is almost always underneath the behavior.
An unmet need
An emotion they haven’t been able to process
A moment earlier in the day when they didn’t feel heard or understood

I’ve coached so many parents through this exact thing.
They say—my kid was fine all day, and then completely lost it
But when we slow it down and look closer, the signs were there
Maybe there was rushing from one place to the next
Maybe their nervous system never got a chance to settle
Maybe they were holding in a hard feeling until it finally spilled out

This is why we have to stop thinking of meltdowns as misbehavior
They’re a signal
A message
A call for help

And our job as peaceful parents is to receive that signal with calm
To lead with connection instead of control
To support instead of shame

So the next time your child explodes over something that seems small
Don’t just look at what triggered it
Look underneath

That’s where the answers are 💛

20/05/2025

Blaasoefeninge is baie belangrik vir kleuters, veral in die ontwikkeling van spraak, asemhaling en mondspiere. Al lyk dit soos pret-speletjies, speel dit ’n groot rol in taalontwikkeling en leer.

Hier is hoekom blaasoefeninge belangrik is:

🌬️ 1. Versterk mondspiere
Blaasaktiwiteite oefen die wangspiere, lippe en tong.

Hierdie spiere help kinders om klanke duideliker uit te spreek.

🗣️ 2. Verbeter spraak en uitspraak
Sommige klanke (soos /p/, /b/, /f/, /s/) vereis goeie asembeheer en lipbeweging.

Deur te blaas, oefen kinders hierdie bewegings spelenderwys.

😮‍💨 3. Bevorder asembeheer
Blaasoefeninge help kinders om asem in en uit te beheer – belangrik vir praat en sing.

Dit help ook met vloeiende spraak.

🧘 4. Help met konsentrasie en kalmte
Stadige blaasaktiwiteite (soos borrels blaas of veertjies wegwaai) kan kinders kalmeer.

Dit bevorder selfregulering en fokus.

🎯 5. Ontwikkel koördinasie en fyn motoriese vaardighede
Aktiwiteite soos strooitjie blaas, borrels jaag of pingpongballetjies blaas verbeter oog-hand en mond-hand koördinasie.

(Bron - Oasis kub, werk sonder werkskaarte)

19/05/2025

This was one of the first posts I ever made on emotional regulation and I still share it today because the need for tools like this hasn’t changed

If you’re sitting with a heavy feeling right now, this might help. I created this visual using principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). It’s a simple step-by-step process to help you pause, name what you’re feeling, understand what triggered it, notice the thoughts it brought up, and ask yourself what you need next. Sometimes, just slowing down enough to do this can be the most regulating thing you do all day

Emotion regulation isn’t about getting rid of our feelings. It’s about learning how to respond to them in a way that allows us to learn a bit about ourselves, manage distress, and respond to our situation in a healthier way. And it’s a skill we can all learn especially if we didn’t grow up with models of emotional awareness.

Bookmark this. Revisit it. Practice it.

Take care of your mind and body. Love, Nawal ♥️

18/03/2025

08/03/2025

06/03/2025