Recently, I took my younger daughter to her preschool after a vacation break of 10 days. This transition back to our usual rhythm, and her emotional response to it, reminded me of the many times over the years that both my daughters (ages 3 and 9) have clearly shown me that going to school is
Do you know that expression “I used to be a perfect parent, then I had kids?” I think that perfectly describes how sure I was that my children would not play with weapons. After all, what better way to keep children safe than to simply ban all toy weapons and weapon play? Until I had
I’ve just walked my son to school for the last time. It feels significant because he’s my second child and my youngest. His older sister made this same leap from primary (elementary) to secondary school a couple of years ago, and now walks in on her own to the local high-school. This time around, the
Professionals in the education, mental health, and public health fields are beginning to recognize the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on children’s regulatory capacities, which in turn shape their functioning in relationships within their family, their classroom and the wider community. The ‘super-protective factor’ that promotes resilience in the context of toxic stress is
After 28 years of being together, my husband and I divorced. My son and two daughters were in their teens. The divorce and the years leading up to it had been very painful for each of us in the family. After the divorce and the heartache it brought, our dog Molly and I became companions,
My 6 year old got his leg injured while he was practising sports. Unfortunately, the injury happened just before a school sport’s event and he was not able to fully take part in it, although it was clear that he certainly tried his best. However, after this, he became increasingly preoccupied with not having won
I was excited to become a mother, but I didn’t have any idea what I was in for. I thought that parenting would be lots of love and gently guiding my child. I thought that if I was reasonable and kind when I was setting limits that my son would kindly and reasonably comply. When
Blending a family, and nurturing new sibling relationships, isn’t a simple task. It requires us to be thoughtful of each child and remember the separate, and long-established, histories they each bring with them. Since there is no one structure to a blended family, children may be transitioning a lot. Your children may be coming and
Ai visat întotdeauna legătura aceea profundă dintre frați, afecțiunea și înțelegerea mai presus de cuvinte, susținerea și prietenia necondiționată. Dar te-ai ales cu copii care se ceartă, se necăjesc sau se jignesc unul pe altul, se lovesc sau pur și simplu nu par să se suporte? Te asigurăm că ei se iubesc! Au nevoie de
A guest post with Irina Nichifiriuc E o seară liniștită de vară. Matei, Areta și Eva se pregătesc de somn. De câteva săptămâni și-au făcut ”culcuș” în camera lui Matei unde și-au întins saltelele pe jos și dorm clai peste
We know that play is a child’s work.The best play provides opportunities for fun, and also chances to build intelligence. Because good play has the power to help children laugh through fears and address their issues, and get connected to the people around them, g rough-housing games and physical play, imaginary play and roleplaying are
This morning I led a workshop about helping children heal from separation anxiety. It felt a little ironic to me since lately I’ve been the one experiencing separation anxiety. After using the Hand In Hand tools many times to help my now 8-year-old daughter heal from her own separation fears, she hardly ever experiences it
Like many parents I often feel the amount of stuff to do around the house is endless. Cooking, cleaning, washing, tidying, and laundry makes me feel exhausted just thinking about it! My partner helps out when he’s around, but because I’m the one at home most I do more than half of the work. I