Bedtime Fears: Two Games to Help
Monday, November 7 2016
Separating at bedtime has been a struggle for our 2-year-old for quite some time and I have done a lot of Staylistening with him on this emotional project of his. But lately, he
Category: Staylistening
A No-Fuss Way to Set Limits on Screen Time
Sunday, October 23 2016
My four-year-old son LOVES garbage trucks. He is obsessed with them, and not just the trucks. He loves everything to do with garbage disposal: garbage cans, recycling, compost, trips to the landfill, and the garbage
Preschooler Crying: Amazing Transformation When a Teacher Listens
Thursday, October 13 2016
By Laura Minnigerode When I was a co-teacher in a 2-year-old class at a half-day preschool, one of the oldest children was Ryan. He was very sweet and sensitive. In free play at school Ryan did fine, but he
How Listening to a Micro-Preemie Helped Relieve Her Fear
Wednesday, September 28 2016
By Laura Minnigerode Emma was born so early that she identified as a “Micro-Preemie.” That is, she weighed less than 800 grams and was born before 26 weeks. When I first met her, she was about 9
His Needs Nearly Crushed Me
Thursday, September 22 2016
My son is now 16 months old. When he was newborn he was a nightmare. We couldn’t lie him flat for the first 6 months of his life. I couldn’t leave him for a microsecond.
Take a Time Out from Time Outs
Wednesday, September 21 2016
Your son has been acting out all day. First he grabbed his friend’s toy truck at a playdate and refused to play nicely. He threw it across the room when you asked him to
What To Do When Your Child Wants to Quit
Tuesday, August 23 2016
Classes are opening and tryouts are on. But what happens if your child refuses to go? Are you respecting their wishes if you agree, or are you holding them back from opportunity? Here, one mother
Staylistening – How Does Crying Help You and Your Child?
Tuesday, August 16 2016
What is Hand in Hand Parenting?: Day 4 Understandably, parents often become annoyed by crying and use all kinds of strategies to hush their child up. In my family, the stock threat was, “If you
Why You Should Let Them Cry Before Bed
Thursday, June 23 2016
By Andrea McCracken Usually my 3-year old daughter is quite agreeable and adaptable but she had been showing off-track behavior at bedtime for a few nights. What does off-track behavior look like? Playing at
Ever felt ‘Not Good Enough’?’
Thursday, June 9 2016
A guest post by Skye Munro of Nurturing Connections Recently I had the privilege of sharing my passion for connected parenting with over 200 Early Childhood professionals. But right until they entered the
Light in the Dark: Helping Your Angry Child
Friday, June 3 2016
Earlier that night my daughter had shown us some big feelings by screaming and crying when I set a limit for no more cookies. Now, even though it was late and much past her bedtime,
I Want Another Cookie and I Will Not Buckle My Car Seat
Monday, May 23 2016
We were at an impasse for at least 10 minutes. We tried to wait patiently for her to be ready to leave, but she refused to buckle her car seat and physically prevented us from helping her. Finally, after at least 10 minutes, she allowed me to help her. She was tired and angry and the look in her eyes said, “Help me. I’m in here somewhere and I can’t find myself.”
Helping My Son While He Misses His Playmate
Thursday, March 10 2016
instead of telling him what to feel, I simply tried to make myself available for him and really listen. I let him take his time, while reassuring him that I was right there, fully listening to him and accepting him and his feelings just the way they were.
Why Your Child Acts up on Vacation
Tuesday, February 9 2016
When a child displays off track and unreasonable behavior, they are often asking for us to bring a limit to help them stop. Bringing a limit to off track behavior can provide the emotional release children need and return them to their balanced, fun loving selves.
Spoiled Outing: Why Does My Kid Lose It When We Are Having the Best Time?
Tuesday, February 9 2016
Spoiled Outing Syndrome. That is the technical term at Hand in Hand Parenting for this kind of phenomenon where you are having a lovely time and your kid loses it for no apparent reason.