“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house,” starts a classic poem.

“A Visit from St. Nicholas,” written by Clement Clarke Moore, is narrated by a parent who experiences wonder when something special happens in anticipation of an event. The night before a big adventure evokes all kinds of emotions. The night before a new school year, for example, can cause children (and parents too) to feel nervous and have jitters. This is the time of year when there are a lot of people starting new adventures.

I am thrilled about a new adventure in my life. I’m starting a new job.

Soon, I’ll be going to bed the night before my new job starts. I’m excited, but also have some jitters. Have you ever had jitters before starting a new job? What was it like? Did you go to bed worried about what to expect?

The author, Natasha Wing, has taken this first line of “The night before” poem and she has created a series of books for children. Natasha was a guest on our podcast (back in 2017 before we started doing video) where she shared information about writing for children. Click on the bold here for a link to her audio podcast.

I used her books with my little one before she started preschool, kindergarten, first, and second grades. They were a great way to have a conversation about the transitions. Children and families can talk through big feelings, and use books as a way to have conversations about topics.

In addition to being a guest on the BUTTERCUP podcast, Natasha also wrote a guest blog for BUTTERCUP entitled, “Don’t Sweat the Holidays.” In the blog, she talked about how the holidays can cause people stress. “I’ve gotta make special cards. I gotta write a newsletter. I gotta decorate like Martha Stewart. And…. All these gottas creates a lot of pressure on people,” said Natasha when we talked about where she came up with the idea for the blog. She reminds us to do the best we can. She reassures the reader. A reminder that things will be okay when we are “enjoying the time” we have with the people in our lives.

Thank you for your uplifting words, Natasha. The night before I start my new job will be a joyous occasion and I can’t wait. I am thrilled to meet my new students. I am thrilled to meet my new colleagues. I am thrilled for all the new adventures that await. I’ll take Natasha’s good advice and not sweat the “gottas” and just focus on enjoying the journey.

If you are starting a new adventure, good luck to you. I’m cheering for you ~ “Happy New Adventure to all, and to all a good night!”

Check out Natasha Wing’s website for more information: http://natashawing.com/.