“Will you play with me?” What if that dreaded question, which so often feels heavy and tiresome, could transform the relationship you share with your child? You know your kids need food, water, sleep and comfort to thrive. But what about play? If you look at the ways play builds children’s brains, helps them gain
Sleighbells ring, are you listening? Unfortunately, probably not. That is, if you are shoulder-high in festive planning and your children are fighting over the last gingerbread. Here’s 18 sanity-saving tips for tackling those holiday stresses, so that you can keep your calm, feel resourced and enjoy the winter season. 1. Play Out Excitements If the
How should you respond when your child says, “I’m bored”? It was finally here. After a long, cold winter and barely-there spring, I was so happy to welcome summer. The day was as pretty as a postcard, with spotless blue skies and, at last, sunshine and warmth. I couldn’t have been more pleased if
If you were to see a job description for a role where non-stop, around-the-clock care was compulsory, and there was no training and no overtime, would you take it? Probably not! Yet, it’s what we all sign up for when we become parents. Hand in Hand Parenting exists to support parents in this crazy difficult role,
Humor is an uplifting strategy to use in setting limits if your child isn’t too upset. Kids love nothing better than a good laugh, and using humor to pry them out of their behavioral ruts can lift your whole family’s spirits. For example, as you physically herd your preteen out of the bathroom, you could
Imagine this. Your kids are on a playdate. Everything is fine. There are a few giggles. Some stomping. The next minute? The kids are laughing manically, and the house is so trashed it looks like it has seconds until it falls down around you. The kids have gone wild. What To Do When The Kids
You’ve had a hard day and you walk through the door, ready to see your child and find out what you missed. Except that when you walk into your home, they give you a sour look. You take a deep breath. Instead of the happy homecoming you dreamt of and crave, it looks like you
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
One point of difference between Hand in Hand and other parenting approaches is recognizing laughter and play as a way to relieve tension. So often, play is overlooked as a parenting tool, but here we see the amazing way play brought one parent and a bunch of kids together. The Day When We Played
Dear Hand in Hand, Please help. My 4-year-old son has had a turbulent time at pre-school and has become very aggressive. I am seeing this as an issue around separation. We have increased Special Time, and I’m finding he has a huge, driving desire to play from the minute I pick him up at midday.
A Guest Post by Stephanie Parker My daughter is about to turn nine and I’ve been thinking recently that I’d like her to do more around the house. I haven’t spent enough time making this happen in the past, I’ve taken shortcuts by just doing things myself because it’s ‘quicker’. So this morning I’d washed
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 thanking the giver, and my approach to use logic and discuss the importance of saying thank you and showing gratitude
“Mom! He’s being mean to me.” “She’s weird. I don’t want to play with her.” “They never give me a turn.” “He won’t let us climb the tree.” “She always gets to go first! Just because she’s the oldest…” You might hear words like these when your child talks about brothers, sisters or friends. All
Do you know that expression “I used to be a perfect parent, then I had kids?” I think that perfectly describes how sure I was that my children would not play with weapons. After all, what better way to keep children safe than to simply ban all toy weapons and weapon play? Until I had
What happens to you when your child announces “I’m bored?” Despite research telling us that boredom is actually good for children – it can help foster creativity and independence – most of us try to rush into a solution when we hear those words. Boredom strikes when children become unstuck in their play. Perhaps they are
In his book, Playful Parenting, Lawrence Cohen says, “Play can be the long-sought bridge back to that deep emotional bond between parent and child.” Play invites adults into a child’s world, on their terms, and the giggles and laughter that follow releases tension, and helps barriers fall away. Bonding Through Play Sushila Hart, a nanny