I had to keep a very close watch on my son, and be able to move in fast to protect myself or my daughter when he decided to have a swipe! But as the time went on, these incidents were fewer, and he was laughing more, and including his sister more in the games we were playing. I could sense we were all feeling very close.
I have thought a lot about what words I say to my two children when they are pushing boundaries and I need to set a limit. I have found the phrase, “I can’t let you do that” to be so helpful. Of course, physically stepping in to be close, and my body language, is just
In this free parenting call Certified Parenting by Connection instructors Lyra L’Estrange and Otilia Mantelers bring you practical solutions to build your child’s confidence and independence.
Shaheen used this approach to help her daughter work through fears around separation and swimming lessons, and return to her cheerful self.
Children with high anxiety spend much of their time “on guard,” on the lookout for potential dangers. You can use dramatic play to help loosen up this hypervigilance. Here’s three games you can play to confront fear and anxiety. When I first met Brook, she was a girl who was easily agitated, especially if her
My entire day, I’d had to figure things out on the fly. By the time my 10-year-old son was getting out of school, my schedule had changed half a dozen times. I had arranged for some friends to take my son to a nearby park for a birthday party, where my daughter and I would
David and his mum came recently to a Parenting by Connection class series I taught, which included two Play Events. This is where families meet for a couple of hours, and the adults play with children just the way the children want to play. We do lots of Playlistening, where the children are in charge
what seemed to make the most difference in our connection was the “mini” Special Time sessions that I did for five minutes — just five minutes! — before heading out the door for work, on the mornings she was awake before 7 a.m. No matter how late I was running, I could make time for five minutes of Special Time.
I’m the mom of a young son, who has been my greatest teacher in life and has guided me to my deepest passion, parenting! My work in Theater from the time I was a little girl up until now pairs beautifully with my work today. I’m passionate about helping parents connect with their children and
You can find Part 1 of this article here. When your child rejects you, stay, reassure, and listen. When your child wants his other parent badly, simply stay with her and listen to her feelings. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re the Daddy, and Mommy is going shopping. What your child needs is your confidence
Looking for Part 2 of this article? Go here. Is your child favoring her other parent over you? If you have a child favoring one parent, welcome to a very large club full of spurned but loving parents. Being rejected by your own child is one of the hardest experiences a parent can have, and
Q. My 5 year old is not big on hellos or goodbyes. Most of the time, I have been okay with this, but there are times when it seems inappropriate. For example, when we visited my family on the East Coast. My daughter didn’t connect with my dad too much despite having spent a lot of time
Children thrive on connection with their parents. Their need for a sense of connection is strong and constant through childhood. It is this sense of safety and connection that allows children to learn at a great rate, to experiment and play so fully, to enjoy themselves and others without reservation, and to trust in the
Each child comes into the world with a different set of potential characteristics. As parents, our challenge is to find ways to work with, and celebrate, the people our children are. Some children are slow to warm to others. To help your child deal with shyness, he first needs you to lovingly accept and validate
We at Hand in Hand are working to introduce parents everywhere to one very simple new idea that changes the work of parenting. The heart of this idea is that children’s feelings play a deeply useful role in their lives. Children’s feelings arise when they haven’t yet been able to fully comprehend a challenging experience.
A parent asked about helping her young son with a brief traumatic experience that he recently had. He came out of it unhurt, but really frightened. That evening, he talked about it again and again, and was clingy and worried at bedtime. Since then, all kinds of questions and thoughts about death are occurring to
Many families face the challenge of divorce or separation. Whatever the causes of the separation, and whatever the circumstances, it’s hard on everyone involved. Parents want the best for their children. They want stable, loving relationships in their lives. And they want their children to thrive. Yet big changes must be made. There are many
Leah had returned from her dad’s house chock full of feelings—she seemed sullen and sad and had lost all enthusiasm about the party. I decided to help my daughter get in better emotional shape so that she would be able to enjoy our party.