Farewells Not So Fun? Help with Separation Anxiety
I let her know that I would be leaving soon, and then she frantically reached her arms out — a gesture for me to hold her. I took her in my arms, and said, softly,
When Frustration Overflows – Tantrums Promote Learning
My three-year-old daughter loves getting herself dressed. She loves the autonomy of choosing what to wear and I see a real sense of achievement in her as she manages to work out the buttons, zippers,
Playing Our Way Through Sleepover Fears
Maybe it’s not-so-easy to have that first sleepover. But so easy to have some kind of parental amnesia! Ugh. I was immediately wondering if we were going to need to turn right back around and
What If Parenting Is an Emotional Practice?
Parenting is a real workout, right? You never have enough time, patience, or energy to juggle kids, work, household, adult relationships, and your own personal health and wellbeing. The children pose one challenge after another:
Help My Son Stop Hitting His Siblings
How can I help my child stop hitting his siblings?
When Another Child Hurts Your Child
It’s not helpful for children, or for us, to be taught that others are bad. It disempowers us. If others are “bad,” then they have a condition we can’t help them with. We have to
How Your Childhood Affects Your Parenting
This call looks at the present challenges you face in your parenting, and explores how you can overcome them, by tracing their roots back to the past. Gain renewed energy and patience to be the
Our Parents Did Their Best
Almost all of us can remember hurtful things our parents did. But they did their best. The human instinct to love is at its most powerful when we become parents. Your parents and mine wanted
My Story: How Staylistening Helped My Family and Inspired Me
When my daughter was born in 2010, the first weeks with her were blissful. I had a 6-hour water birth; we were easily able to establish a good breastfeeding relationship. But after 10 days at
Help for the Hard Times in Parenting
When we became parents, most of us had no idea that we would need to master the art of handling stress. Nurturing children is a job that’s best done with ample and relaxed support—several committed
Loving the Parent You Are Today
Parenting is hard. And that’s OK. Let’s start by accepting the parents we are today, right now, with all our imperfections and regrets and fumbles. Listen as Hand in Hand Founder, Patty Wipfler explores good
From Yelling to Connecting, Thanks to My Listening Partnership
I had never yelled at my son, aged five, until recently when he started yelling at me. The first time he did it, I was immediately triggered. I don’t remember what I’d said, but he
Connecting Through Chaos: What to Do When Siblings Have Big Feelings at the Same Time
What parent hasn’t wished she could clone herself into an army of expert cuddlers, caregivers, lap holders, child carriers, diaper changers, housekeepers and taskmasters? How many times can we say, “There is only one of
A Good Cry Can Promote Secure Attachment
Most of us parents want, more than anything, for our presence to be the elixir that banishes our children’s upsets. We want our touch, our cuddles, and our sweet words to heal the hurt. Our
Helping My Child Through Homework Struggles
The school year started off well for my fourth grade son and homework seemed to be moving along smoothly. However, by mid-January I started to see a progression of hemming and hawing, procrastination and delay
Tantrums for Two: How to Manage with More Than One Upset Child
Q. Do you have any tips on helping 2-year-old twins who tantrum at the same time and very, very often? Most of the time I’m the only one there to listen and it just doesn’t
Must Parents Be Consistent?
We’ve all been told, “Kids need consistency!” But what does that mean? Does it mean that we have to mete out consequences for every one of our children’s poor judgment calls? Does it mean that
Setting Limits: “Do you want me to say ‘no’ so you can cry?”
When my son was almost three years old, I really wanted to attend a conference on the other side of the country. I agonized over whether or not to go. The conference was several days