Hand in Hand Parenting
Having two boys is great, wonderful. And simultaneously, one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. As a childminder I used to look after 3 toddlers every day, but having two of my own children felt like working at a different level. Maybe because child care and parenting are very different jobs! It's the arguments, … Continue reading PlayListening our way out of Sibling Rivalry.
A crying child needs help to stop. If we stop our child from crying, it means they are ok. It’s the biggest parenting myth. We’ve been misled to believe that when our child stops crying it means the bad feeling has gone away, and our child is ok again. This isn’t just a parenting myth, … Continue reading The Biggest Parenting Myth – Crying is Bad.
Happy New Year! I do know it's February already - how did THAT happen? But this year I decided to try sometime new. For years now, just acknowledging that I don't have as much energy in the winter, when it's dark and cold, wasn't enough. I was still trying to DO everything. And then I … Continue reading New Year, New Balance, New Consistency.
I had read so many books and some made sense. The images they conjured up were exactly what I was aiming for, the tips sounded right up my street, suited my ethics, the culture I wanted to adopt in my own family. Bam! I'd found "it", sorted! Next time I had a tricky situation with … Continue reading Parenting Books Vs Being Listened to.
(First published on http://www.handinhandparenting.org) Those of us who know the power in expressing all of our feelings feel differently about crying. Instead of shutting down crying, we welcome the tears. When those of us in the know get together, we might be overheard excitedly exclaiming “Oh, they had a brilliant, long cry this morning!” with … Continue reading HELP! My Child Won’t Let Me Staylisten… What Can I Do?
My mum tells this story about how, when I was 18 months old, I climbed to the top of a very tall slide, cunningly waited for her to get to the top of the ladder behind me, shot down the slide, jumped up and sprinted away, cackling and shrieking with laughter at her calls for … Continue reading These Ideas Are All Warm, Kind Ways To Stop Your Toddler Running Away
(This article was written and first published on http://www.handinhandparenting.org) Struggling around transitions with your child? Then how many of these moments sound familiar and fill you with dread? Do you watch the clock, count the seconds, and run requests in your mind waaaay before you ask your child to stop an activity? Do you worry … Continue reading Struggling with Transitions? Here’s One Thing You Can Do Today That Will Help
“Go away! I hate you!” Never a nice thing to hear. Especially screamed. Loudly. In a public place. Sometimes I think my life can be split into before Hand in Hand Parenting, and after. Like driving to new locations using an unwieldy paper map and then discovering satellite navigation. Before I learnt some good information … Continue reading Turning “I hate you!” around.
“I want the Walkie Talkie!” The cry was a heart-broken plea, at a deafening volume. My 4-year-old mindee was flat out on the floor beside me, where I had sat down to explain it was time to tidy up before I took her home. She was sad, cross, indignant, and desperate for the toy. She … Continue reading Tears and Tantrums
Christmas has not been what we had thought it might be. Sitting in front of the TV, watching the UK Prime minster telling us that more restrictions were needed, was odd. Odd in that it’s become a thing we do now. Watch Boris make Announcements. Like we’re about to go to war. The surreal-ness is … Continue reading Rewards of Listening to Feelings
Katy Linsley 