Q: My 7-year-old daughter keeps asking for her best friend to sleepover. We know the girl and her family quite well, and the girls really have a great time playing together. My daughter has had cousins to stay, and one other friend, but this will be the first time her best friend would stay. Her
Your clingy child won’t play independently? In this post, you’ll learn how play therapists help increase kids capacity for play – and how you can too at home. A parent I was working with once said, “My child would still want more from me if I was watching over her and doing nothing else
Your heart sinks as you join the long line of people snaking the aisle at the grocery store. Your baby is already making those noises she makes when she wants you to hold her, and there are about 15 minutes until she needs feeding. You are pretty sure this line will take double that. How
Why do you aim to do better in your parenting, and then fail… First off, let’s get one thing straight. You are never failing. Never. Parenting is a work of practice. And it’s ok when you veer off track from the good intentions you make. But knowing WHY you veer off track goes a long
A Guest Post By Rebecca Eanes Before my children were born, I had a pretty predictable daily flow. Eating, sleeping, showering – these were done on my terms and in my own time. I enjoyed hobbies, date nights with my husband, and outings with friends at my leisure. My husband and I could decide on
“Help! My son has big issues getting dressed. I’ve tried making it funny, using imitation. He laughs, but there is still so much resistance. What can I do?” she asked.
We know that grandparents can make a huge difference in the lives of their grandchildren. They can be another ear to listen. A teacher, a carer. Someone to share different ideas and viewpoints. They can be a key source of love in a secure support network for a child as they grow. But grandparenting is
Guest Post By Alissa Marquess When my three kids are getting along, helping each other and playing nicely together, I feel a sense of peace. Usually, not long after this, I hear screaming from the other room and then one of them shows up at my side demanding that I dispense justice! There goes my
When he was four years old, mom Laura Minnigerode and her son Lucian set aside time to play each morning one on one, as a way to encourage connection. This devoted “Special Time” happened most days once Lucian’s two older two siblings left for school. After the rush of getting them out the door,
A Guest Post by Yasmeen Almahdy If you want to set limits that your children actually listen to, doing what your parents did will not help. That is, if they yelled, nagged, bribed or sent you to your room for not complying. And if you remember how it felt when your parents issued those orders,
Do you find your children’s behaviour triggers you to react in ways that are out of character with the parent you thought you would be? You work hard to parent with respect and empathy yet there are times this can elude you? Is it like you just can’t do it? Let me reassure you… you
It’s a new morning, and your child is grumpy and refuses to get out of bed. “You’re so mean!” your child shouts as you tell her it’s time to get up. “I hate you!” These words seem made to rile a frazzled parent. We spend so much of our life-giving for our kids and loving
A guest post by Irina Nichifiriuc Read this post in Romanian In our house, I faced a series of “battles” and obstacles every night as the day wore on towards bedtime. With three children, I found that the task of getting them to sleep was getting longer and more difficult as I faced more and
My son is diagnosed with sensory issues so getting dressed is a daily challenge for all the family. One morning, I wanted to take the kids out for a walk, so we could have some quality time. My daughter was dressed and ready, but my son was not. He was bare naked, and he was
Dear Hand in Hand Parenting, I recently found out about your approach, and I really want to try some of these ideas. I have started Special Time, and it seems to be going well, but I’m confused about setting limits. You suggest a warm approach, with no need to yell. I’d love to work out
You’ve had a hard day and you walk through the door, ready to see your child and find out what you missed. Except that when you walk into your home, they give you a sour look. You take a deep breath. Instead of the happy homecoming you dreamt of and crave, it looks like you
Because there are so many caregiving tasks as a new parent, you may find that they become a little transactional. You do the task to get it done because you have 8 million other things that need to get done, too. But, these moments of caregiving; like feeding or diapering or bathing or getting dressed,
Dear Mama, If you have had a birth experience that did not go as you hoped or planned, it’s not selfish to have negative feelings about it. Even though you, or the people around you, may expect the joy of the new baby to erase any negative feelings about the birth, your feelings matter. Birth