By Kirsten Nottleson On Thanksgiving morning, my husband and I were both feeling a stressed trying to get the turkey, pie, cranberry relish, and salad ready to pack in the car. We were off to grandma’s house for “the big meal.” “Please, Please, Play” We have two boys, aged 4 and 10, and my four-year-old
A Guest Post by Michelle Hartop I picked up my seemingly happy seven-year-old from school one day, but by the time we got in the car to drive home, she was filled with frustration and tears. She was whining about what was for dinner and told me in no uncertain terms that she didn’t want
I was not prepared for motherhood. Not for the emotional being who was now my responsibility. Not for the craziness, the crying, the fussing, the whinging, the whining, the tantrums and raging meltdowns and not for what they would stir up in me. I’d fought hard to become a mum, to wear that badge and
Parenting can be all encompassing. It can seem to take us an age to figure out what we can accept and what our boundaries are at home, and then bam! We have to leave the house. What happens when your strategy for sharing between your siblings is working beautifully, but then you go to
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 – peer pressure or bullying, test anxiety, or issues from home that affect them in school – there seems little place
Have you ever got home from a really crap day where EVERYTHING went wrong? You see that your darling partner has accidentally left the milk out of the fridge and you just LOSE it, ranting and screaming. Seemingly this is over the milk being left out… Has your child ever “flipped their lid” because you
We were on our way home from a festival weekend where we had camped out. We’d been on the road for an hour or so. My 3-year-old daughter was busy drawing and I was sitting in the back seat with her. She started to get frustrated trying to write some letters. I offered to help,
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 had respiratory issues that required a week’s stay in the NICU. There he was jaundiced and had difficulty feeding. For much of
I work as a learning assistant in a large comprehensive school supporting children who have a variety of special educational needs. One of the most challenging is an English class with 13 and 14 year olds. About ten children really struggle to engage or focus. One girl in particular has a reputation for being very
Dear Hand in Hand, My daughter’s school is really pushing reading. They constantly say how reading opens the world and makes for a more ready and open learner. I’ve always thought I was quite lucky because my 7-year-old girl just loves to read. She’ll read upside down on the couch, in the car on the
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 went beautifully, probably because she had no preconception about what to expect. The second time she was terrified. She screamed
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 parent warmly and tries not to rush them. “Warmth is a big deal to a child. They feel connected with
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 Aaron. He was very sweet and sensitive. In free play at school Aaron did fine, but he had a lot of feelings about his dad that came up during circle time, which came
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 faces just that dilemma when her son wants to quit baseball. As she digs deeper she discovers it wasn’t the sport
“I hate you!” “You are so mean!” “You don’t love me!” A kick, as you attempt to draw close and maintain some level of order. A scratch, as you reach out to hug. Hitting and a screaming battle as you order “time out.” How hard is it to parent when your child is lashing out? Incredibly
“She’s viciously swearing, venomously shouting horrible things” I explain to my Listening Partner. I am relating the story of my morning; a repetitive recurring interaction between me and my 6 year old daughter. I am talking to my Listening Partner – an acquaintance I speak with weekly. We’ve agreed to give each other 10 minutes
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 room I was plagued with a case of the ‘What if’s”… What if I forget what I want to say?
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 could still see we still had work to do. My daughter has a huge capacity for emotion. Just the