On Special Time Go figure! Kids love attention. And they love parent’s attention better than most. That’s probably because giving them regular undivided attention can be really beneficial for them. Feeling Connected Means Feeling Better When a parent pours in their attention a child feels really seen. Even if they haven’t been openly signalling, through
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
When I started using Special Time with my children they just fell in love with it. Special Time is a Hand in Hand Tool that works like this: You set aside a certain amount of time, say 10 – 15 minutes, and offer to play or do whatever your child likes. During this time
Un article traduit de l’anglais par Chloé Saint Guilhem, formatrice certifiée Hand in Hand L’école peut être source de nombreux changements – et de nombreux sentiments à l’égard de ces changements. Pour certains enfants, l’école peut représenter un défi de taille. Ils se sentent anxieux et stressés, mais nous ne nous en rendrons peut-être jamais
School can bring up a lot of change – and a lot of feelings about the change. For some children, school can feel a momentous challenge. They feel anxious and stressed – but you might never know it. The thing is, often, kids don’t tell you they are anxious about school – at least
In Part 1, Setting A Connection Plan In Place For The Holidays we looked at a family on holiday. Three siblings were happily playing, until suddenly, without much warning, the bigger child pushed a younger one into the pool. This showed how the children had lost their sense of connection and how their behaviour was
Nous étions partis plusieurs jours avec une amie et son fils, moi et mes deux enfants, ainsi que deux de nos parents. Il est difficile de dire que cela venait de l’un ou l’autre d’entre eux, mais nos enfants n’arrivaient pas à jouer ensemble plus de deux minutes sans que cela s’envenime, que l’un joue
Un article traduit de l’anglais par Chloé Saint Guilhem, formatrice certifiée Hand in Hand Utilise cette checklist du Temps Particulier pour tirer le meilleur parti du temps que tu passes avec ton enfant. Cela te permettra de développer un lien fort avec ton enfant, tout en lui donnant la confiance nécessaire pour apprendre, grandir et
Whether it’s music, homework, sports or another skill, when a child refuses to practise it can be frustrating. You want your child to progress and increase in confidence, as well as skill.
How can you help?
In this post, one instructor describes how her child went from plugging their ears whenever she suggested practising to happily asking to do more. It all started with a “Special Time Sandwich.” If you are tired of fighting about practising, give it a try.
Raising a mini-me can take soul searching and acceptance – for yourself and your child. These ideas will help if your child reminds you of you, and that feels hard.
It took months to organise, 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. He says “no,” whenever you ask him to do something, he is constantly asking for things he
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
When I signed up for Special Time, I wasn’t sure I signed up for days like this. But now I see that leaning in when Special Time feels hard or challenging is a gift that gives back. One day my then seven-year-old daughter asked for Special Time. I said okay and set the timer on
When my son was around 5, we moved to Spain. It felt a real leap of faith and we kept wondering how big of a challenge the move was going to be for us as a family. One thing that concerned us was kindergarten access because we heard places were difficult to find. The reality
What if you could help your child to become more flexible and cooperative in just a few minutes a day?
Your recording of the free training is available here: To learn more about the support Hand in Hand Parenting provides for professionals who work with parents: Click this link for resources Attend a Hand in Hand Foundations Course for Professionals Continue Learning about the approach
My first year of motherhood felt a bit like trying to stay in control of a runaway train. Breastfeeding did not come easily to me and so I was delighted to reach the milestone of feeding my daughter for a full year. But I had grown to hate breastfeeding. My daughter was feeding throughout the
If your child is begging you to play more lately, it’s not just because they are missing their friends. And, if you can play along with play, you may find yourself a happier parent too, says Hand in Hand Instructor Stacy Wilson.
A guest post by Julie Johnson The holidays are here and as wonderful as a happy holiday would be, the reality is not always that joyful. Your little one asks you to play every thirty minutes, but you keep saying no because the turkey still isn’t done and everyone is hungry. Finally, she grabs a
Does your child know how much you love them? Like, how much you’d do anything for them to love them? If you find yourself dishing out ultimatums, caught up in stand-offs and power struggles or just plain confused by your child’s challenging behavior often, parenting starts to feel like a daily struggle. Your relationship with
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