5 Ways to Deal With Family Stress During Listening Time
Tuesday, June 28 2022
Do you dread the stress that comes from your family? Here’s how you can use Listening Time to start building better times together.
Tag: Michelle Hartop
What To Do When You Feel Stuck About How To Handle Your Child’s Behavior
Sunday, November 7 2021
Do you ever feel unsure about how to respond to your child? Whether it’s a request they make of you or, like instructor Michelle Hartop shares in this post, an idea they have for play,
How To Support a Child With Sensory Processing Challenges
Tuesday, July 6 2021
On the playground one child is crying because he can’t get the sand off his hands and he hates the feeling. A second child is yelling “Higher! Higher!” as her dad pushes her on the
How To Lean In Even When Your Child’s Special Time Requests Make Your Toes Curl
Wednesday, May 12 2021
When I signed up for Special Time, I wasn’t sure I signed up for days like this. But now I see that leaning in when Special Time feels hard or challenging is a gift that
5 Fresh Fun Ideas for Your Next Car Trip with the Kids
Monday, April 12 2021
“Are we there yet?” “How much longer?” “Stop kicking the seat!” “Leave your brother alone!” “But he’s sticking his tongue out at me!” “I’m soooo bored!” Car rides, whether they’re five minutes or five hours,
Tired of Hearing Your Child Say NO? Try This Reframe
Monday, February 8 2021
I just wanted her to nap. My energy was spent and getting her to sleep was my sole agenda. Unfortunately, my cheerful, “Time for nap” was met with her “No” as she continued playing on
From Avoidance to Confidence: Helping Our Children Triumph Over Fear
Wednesday, October 10 2018
by Michelle Hartop Thunder. Bees. Slides. Broccoli. Escalators. Tests. There is no shortage of things that can send our child into minor avoidance or full-on terror. As a parent, we want to help our child
Dealing with Whining: Getting From Angry to Happy in 20 Minutes or Less
Wednesday, April 11 2018
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
Playful Parenting Improves Your Child’s Manners
Thursday, January 11 2018
A Guest Post by Michelle Hartop My daughter’s manners got lost somewhere between 5 and 6 years old. Once the reigning “thank-you queen,” by school-age, she seemed bothered even receiving a gift, let alone actually
Helping Kids Get Along: How Laughter Can Bring Friends Together
Monday, September 11 2017
When my daughter was around 4 or 5, she had a friend over for a playdate. The girls were playing very well for a while until they pulled out the dress-up clothes. “I’m the
How to Help Siblings in Blended Families Get Along
Tuesday, July 11 2017
My patience was dwindling at an alarming rate and I found my mind filled with lectures I wanted to shout at the kids. I knew I was going to “flip my lid” soon if I didn’t reach out for help for myself. I was just too frustrated to support the kids well.
How to Hold a Limit Calmly Even When Your Child Is Melting Down
Tuesday, February 28 2017
As parents, we do so much to support our children in their happiness. We make sure to get just the right balance of peanut butter and jelly on their sandwich, stock their favorite cereal, keep
Five Ways to Prevent Tantrums in Public
Wednesday, August 27 2014
Parents have full and busy lives. It’s easy to become stressed and overwhelmed with the tasks for our day and easier still to want to move at lightning speed to “just get it done.” Yet, the more we try to push through our day, while dragging our kiddos along, the more we set the stage for a meltdown after we’ve left the house.
A Playful Response to Helping Children Share
Monday, March 4 2013
How long can we simply BE with our children, lighting the way to reconnection, without rushing to solve “the problem”? My daughter and her friend were playing well one day until they both wanted the
It’s Not a “Pretty” Issue: Children and Their Looks
Tuesday, February 28 2012
Listening to her dissatisfaction with herself was hard. How could someone so young feel so badly about her self? I hoped the work we were doing now would continue to help her as she got older and faced these issues even more.