Sarah would brace herself for the onslaught of hitting, punching, and threats that usually followed her five-year-old son’s glare. “He had a lot of fear and anger,” says the mom of two. He’d head butt
The summer before Susan Derby began a graduate degree in Social Work she decided to run a class on connection parenting skills to a group at a non-profit housing facility in Los Angeles, CA. The organisation
Listening Partnerships with Emilie Leeks When we first encountered Hand in Hand Parenting, we were struck not only by the non-judgemental, meet-you-where-you-are tone, but also by the practical ideas offered through the Listening Tools. Four of the
Dear Hand in Hand, “I’ve heard a lot about the parent listening tool, Listening Partnerships, but what makes them so different to the good, easy chats I have with my friends about parenting? I have
As parents, we devote our time to the care and well-being of others. We hear a lot about self-care, about why it’s important to take timeouts for ourselves, or about how being mindful and calm
A Guest Post by By Emilie Leeks Our four-year-old daughter had a growing tendency to be very melodramatic around ‘pain’. If she was in a certain kind of mood and just got touched or gently bumped,
Traditionally in classrooms, teachers talk and children listen. While curriculums are updating to include self-directed learning, children in many classrooms may still feel unheard, and if they have worries or concerns outside of learning –
I was chatting with a friend that has recently taken a Hand in Hand course of mine. She commented that since doing the course she feels like I am an extra voice in her head, and
My daughter was a very capable girl at eight years old. She was smart, strong, clever, and so resourceful. But at the same time, she sometimes acted helplessly. As a single parent, it would drive
Science says that limits give a good framework for children to flourish. And setting limits is an integral part of Hand in Hand’s empathetic, authoritative approach.
Saying no can be hard. Some of us avoid saying it if we feel like we just don’t have the energy for another fight and we skirt around saying “No.” For others it brings up a lot
No doesn’t have to be yelled or sound mean to be effective. Try these 17 kind ways to say no that kids do actually listen to.
A Guest Post By Lisa Tripp My six-month-old son, has had some challenges falling asleep for naps for several months, but the challenges have gotten easier and sleep has gotten more flexible for him as
How does a therapist use play to reach kids and help them recover from trauma? They ask them to lead it. At least, that’s what happens when a therapist—or anyone working towards a trauma-informed environment
Listening Tools in Therapy Jack arrived at 36 weeks, having experienced a foetal distress that sent his system into survival mode. Doctors, acting fast, used vigorous suctioning in a stressful birth and it was soon discovered that Jack
Do you find yourself pushing your feelings down because your partner always seems to tense up and over react when you try and tell him? Are you worried to ask your partner his feelings because
Before the diapers and the laundry, the meal-planning and the playdate planning, there was actual time for Valentine’s Day. Way back then pre-children, time spent counting cards and arranging grand romantic gestures was special. Now, it
I have a weekly appointment with a Listening Partner and I know that this scheduled time helps me work deeply on topics that feel heavy to me in my family life. But it happens quite regularly