Children are loud, funny, passionate people. This we know. And while none of us go into parenting hoping our kids will not get on with their siblings or friends, some teasing, squabbling and competing is normal and to be expected. Still it isn’t always easy to listen to upset children, and how we react in
Do you ever feel unsure about how to respond to your child? Whether it’s a request they make of you or, like instructor Michelle Hartop shares in this post, an idea they have for play, something about your child’s behavior just leaves you unsure or uneasy. Should you set a limit, or let things play
It was 7am. I could barely keep my eyes open and my son was already surly. I was trying to make myself some tea and him some breakfast. After a few minor complaints about my not being able to do Special Time with him, he finally found a paper and crayons to occupy himself. But
Feel like you are parenting on auto-respond? Here’s how I make to shift to responsive parenting. Upstairs the kids were thumping around and shouting at each other. I paused from chopping mushrooms, hoping they’d stop, but instead heard a scream. Racing up to see what happened, I found my oldest sitting on top of my
I’ll let you in on a profound insight that changed my life. Your kids don’t need tantrum training but you probably do! No doubt you have always been shown and told that tantrums are a bad thing. It is a common view. But, I think you’ll come to value them—once you see how they can
What do you think of when you think of self-care? Is it a manicure? A bubble bath? A solo trip to the grocery store? Maybe a chat on the phone with a friend? Finally making that doctor appointment you’ve been putting off in favor of caring for every single person in your household (and maybe
Feel like you are struggling with Hand in Hand? It’s not you. Really. I remember walking into my first Hand in Hand class. At last, I thought. Someone was going to give me some simple but effective tips for sorting out my kids. I’d skip out of there a couple of hours later and head
What does your instinct tell you to do when your child is crying? Or when they scream and tantrum? Is it to have them stop making a noise as quickly as possible? What if I said the opposite is actually the most helpful thing to do? Especially if your child has been hitting, kicking or
On any given week our family can have anywhere from 0, 1, 2, or 3 children in our home. As a blended family we are constantly in flux as schedules change and children move back and forth between different homes. Sometimes we’re all together, sometimes we’re not. It’s a challenge we all roll with week
It took months to organize, but today you escaped for lunch with two old friends and left your kids with your partner. Secretly, you couldn’t be happier. Your youngest is going through a phase that is really demanding. They says “no,” whenever you ask them to do something. They are constantly asking for things
You don’t have to live with family tension year after year. It’s possible to break old patterns of relating and forge new relationships within your family by getting support for yourself, taking the time to listen to your family members, and shining your love on them. Changing family dynamics is not often easy, but it is
During my Hand In Hand Instructor training, I heard about the concept of a Love Bomb. If you are familiar with Special Time, a Love Bomb is like an extended Special Time. When I introduced the idea of a Love Bomb to my husband he was willing to give it a try. We agreed on
Parenting tweens is no easy task. Moods, eye-rolls and sudden outbursts can seem to appear overnight and long before we expect them. Each new change is a reminder our beloved babies are growing fast. There can be a sense of worry, that this is a last chance to cling to our younger kids and set
On the playground one child is crying because he can’t get the sand off his hands and he hates the feeling. A second child is yelling “Higher! Higher!” as her dad pushes her on the swing as high as it will go. Another child is running around, sometimes inadvertently crashing into other children, while another
When children become violent or aggressive it can be alarming. We are taught that violent outbursts are unacceptable, and naturally feel a responsibility to put an end to it. We have to keep people and property safe. We want to ensure that our children are respectable members of society. A few commonly used methods for
Struggling around transitions with your child? Then how many of these moments sound familiar and fill you with dread? Do you watch the clock, count the seconds, and run requests in your mind waaaay before you ask your child to stop an activity? Do you worry about how much your child cries or clings to
When mealtimes feel hard, try these kind ideas to help. They work even if your child is super strong-willed or very picky. When my sweet toddler moved from her high chair to sit with us at the table, I shared her excitement. I felt proud at how grown up she had become. But then she
Does your child battle every transition? Try these solutions to make changes easier on you all. We’ve all been there. Clock ticking. 10 minutes, five minutes, two minutes until you need to leave. Except, your child has other ideas. One minute until zero hour and they are still laying on their bedroom floor in just