How Healing Old Wounds Helped my Marriage
My kids were with their grandparents and I was spending time with my husband. We were relaxed and talking and everything felt perfect until he mentioned the upcoming marriage of someone that is close to
When Family and Friends Don’t Understand Your Parenting Style
By Rachel Schofield When we choose to parent differently to the norm, we add an extra layer of challenge to our already overfull plates. Without the support and backing of family, friends or professionals, the
Permission to Feel Sad This Holiday Season
Three years ago on Christmas morning, I started crying. My grandmother had died a month earlier and I was spending Christmas with my in-laws. Suddenly I felt bad as if I had abandoned my own
The Day I Said I Hate My Kids
By Lauren Stearns Last year when my son entered 7th grade it seemed like EVERYTHING changed. The connection that I had worked so hard to build with him using Hand in Hand Tools felt broken.
Who’s Listening To You Over the Holidays?
A pair of Listening Partners, we’ll call them Emma and Carol, had been living 2500 miles on opposite coasts for several years now. Carol finds her middle child, Cammy, deeply challenging. During Carol’s last two
What If I’m Just Not A Playful Parent?
“Play with me?” That one question is asked at least 100 times a day in most houses, by kids to their parents. Time and time again we hear that play improves connections. Greys Anatomy-creator (and former
Parenting: What To Do After You Mess Up
The other night I got really annoyed at my son. His birthday isn’t for another two months, and yet every day he’s telling me about this music speaker he wants. Grandma will be visiting soon,
Reduce Parenting Stress: Why We Put Off Listening Time
“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival. – Audre Lorde When parents learn about Hand in Hand’s five Listening
Vaccination Fears? Play Can Help
Our family recently traveled and we had decided to get some vaccinations for our 3 ½ year-old daughter. We needed three shots over three visits. My daughter had never had shots before, but the first time
How To Get Your Kids To Play Better
Why do your children play well for hours some days and others can’t go five minutes without calling on you? Your own tension may play a big factor. Children have a way of picking up
A Seven Step Guide to Building Connection and Safety at Home
If your child has become frightened by a shocking event or words and images seen in the media, they may find ways to indirectly bring up those fears. You might notice a sadness or weight
A New Approach to Separation Anxiety in Daycare and School
In most daycare and preschools, parents are encouraged to make drop off brief. A quick kiss or hug and then out the door. But not in Shelley Macy‘s classes. She makes efforts to welcome each
Building Sleep Confidence: The Truth About Children and Sleep
Sleep is one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent. When we become parents, we may notice that our newborns often fall asleep relatively easily, often in the middle of feeding or right
Helping the Homeless Parent with Connection
On the cartoon stuck to my refrigerator, someone hides under the bedcovers and a speech bubble says, “I don’t want to go to school. The teachers hate me and the kids make fun of me.”
Before Parents Can Parent with Empathy They Need Empathy
Your older child just throttled your baby on the head. The baby is screaming. You hoist them up, and scream at your child. “Why did you do that?!” They start crying, so now there’s two
Separation Anxiety: Two Tools That Will Help
In the middle of preparing for a talk on Separation Anxiety with my fellow Hand in Hand Instructor, Anca Deaconu, my children decided to give me the perfect opportunity to practice what I preach. It
How Connection Helps Your Children Face Fear
The Role of Fear in our Lives Fear is in our lives to protect us. It is a natural part of our human condition and our bodies are exquisitely built to detect threats and to
One Mom’s Genius Solution Helps Daughter’s Social Exclusion
Social exclusion can be painful for the whole family. Here’s how you can help.