OK … confession time… I’m not sure where, or how it started, but surprisingly, it was at a very young age. I’ve always loved kids. I’ve looked after kids and worked with kids, in both professional and voluntary capacities since I was about 11. Those who thought the whole world should revolve around them though, in […]
Stop Making Your Child Happy Read More »
FACT: 75% of brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life.
FACT: Reading to your child enhances their brain development in surprising ways.
How reading to your child impacts brain development Read More »
My 16 year old is ALWAYS very well behaved. In fact, she is so well behaved it is worrying me. She never disagrees with her parents. She always does what she is told. She gets A’s on all her exams and never talks in class. Before you say, “Can I swap children?” I’d like to
Is Your Teen TOO Good? Read More »
Recently, I attended my niece’s wedding. Boy, does that make me feel old. There were about 30 uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, grandparents etc all together. As I observed everybody interacting, it occurred to me that despite the fact that everyone came from one family, only a couple of generations ago, there were different family cultures in operation.
Something every family does differently Read More »
‘Shhhh… not in front of the kids!’ We’ve all been there… In the car with a captive audience… or at the dinner table. An argument erupts and the question is… do you save it for later…? Or just let it all out in front of the kids? Studies conducted at the University of Rochester, NY,
How do you react when your child is experiencing big emotions, or having some kind of an outburst, meltdown, or emotional moment? Do you dismiss the emotions and say “You’ll be ok.” Do you disapprove of the emotions and say “Stop being so silly.” Do you ignore the emotion and hope it will go away?
‘I’m just a mum,’ she said, actually looking embarrassed. ‘What does that mean?’ I asked, confused. I’d only been married a few months and kids weren’t on the agenda for us yet. ‘I used to be a sales rep for a medical company,’ she quickly added. ‘And I plan to get back into it as
Yesterday, a 16 year old was sitting in my reception area minding her own business. She was doing what she always does when she has some spare time…looking at “thinspiration”. “Thinspriation” is pictures and slogans that are designed to motivate women to lose weight. My client has a range of them stored on her iPhone
Thinspiration and Your Teen Read More »
Self control is the ability to say “no” when you want to say “yes“! In 1972 Walter Mischel conducted one of the classic psychology experiments of all time. Children were shown into a laboratory and given a plate with a marshmallow on it. They were told they could eat it now, or if they waited
3 Steps to Teaching Your Child Self Control Read More »
The big question is: “How do you create a happy home?” I think a lot of people wished they had come from one. Working with young people and families with both older and younger children, I’ve noticed that a happy home can come from any race, occupation, economic status, political persuasion and any other variation
2 Secrets to a Happy Home Read More »