“Being a parent is discovering strengths you didnt know you had,
and dealing with fears you never knew existed.”
3 Simple Tips to Help Reduce Distress
Reflecting back upon the year 2020, we find ourselves in awe of people’s strength and resilience and ability to embrace and adapt to the chaotic nature of a world-wide health pandemic. This sentence encapsulates the outcomes however does not quite encompass the challenges and hard work individuals undertook in order to ‘survive’ what will forever be referred to as the COVID-19 year…
When Life Throws You Lemons, Add Gin and Tonic…
Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Relationships break, careers fold, pandemics hit, accidents happen, our hard work ends in bankruptcy or redundancy, our great kids make bad decisions - and sometimes this has nothing at all to do with us.
Let’s Focus on What Really Matter at Christmas Time
What a challenging, confusing, sometimes frightening, tragic and certainly frustrating year 2020 became. Who would have thought this time last year that the year would have unfolded in such a way? There’s so much going on during the run up to Christmas that’s it’s easy to lose sight of what matters most. The festive season is, above all, a time for us all to rejoice with our loved ones. A time to share the spirit of Christmas and embrace this magical time of year, and gives thanks for each other.
6 Ideas to Help You and Your Child Find Calm During Anxious Moments
If you’re more anxious than ever right now, you’re definitely not alone. We are all coping with a lot right now – a surging global health crisis that is displayed before us on the News each night, isolation and restrictions on our activities, ongoing concern regarding the future of job security and finances, and loads of uncertainty about everything from childcare to playdates.
Some Fun Activities to Share with the Kids During Restrictions
Well, haven’t times changed for us right now as we continue to navigate the ‘not so sure what the immediate future holds’ with our kids. It’s time to get a little creative … and that’s hard for those of us who are not particularly built that way!
What’s Really Going On When Your Child Won’t Listen?
One of the most common requests I get from parents is, "I've tried everything and my child still won't listen. What can I do?" There are several factors involved in a child's willingness to cooperate. A child not doing what she is told is less about "not listening" and more about how able she feels to do what you want her to do.
Time-Outs, Time-Ins, Rewards Charts, Threatening, Removing Toys … what works? where should I start?
As most of us have taken smacking and other forms of corporal punishment out of the parenting tool box, time outs have become the go-to for parents struggling to manage unwanted behaviours.
Little Miss Back-Chat …
Talking back, sassy comments and rude gestures by children are a common complaint among parents and can cause problems within a family if the behaviour is not acknowledged. But what can parents do to stop this?
Throwing, Hitting, Kicking, Pinching, Biting …
The prefrontal cortex of the developing brain, where reasoning, logic, and forethought take place, is highly immature in toddlers and pre-schoolers and actually doesn’t develop fully until the mid-twenties.
Imprinting…Unravelling an Over-Processed Approach to Parenting
The lifelong journey of parenting is one of the most relentless and rewarding you are likely to ever experience. This is an exciting, exhausting period where life’s experiences can be enjoyed and at times dismayed over. At times it may feel like a large exercise in troubleshooting, frustration and experimentation.
Self-care for Parents
Becoming a parent is perhaps one of the most rewarding life experiences one can have. For many, it can also be one of the most challenging and at times, downright exhausting period of adult life. Being a parent does not necessarily begin from the time your little bundle of joy arrives into this world.
Becoming a Parent … the bits we don’t talk about
The first few months after having a baby is a period of time like no other.
It is life stage that arrives after many months of growing a new life inside of you and constantly adjusting to all the biological and psychological changes that brings. The arrival of your baby is a powerful event, regardless of delivery style. Your infant must slowly unfurl into a world of bright lights, noise, pollution and new experiences and you must recover from a life-changing period of physical change and emotional upheaval.
The Influence of Dads …
For decades researchers have studied the impact of father involvement on children’s developmental outcomes, the co-parenting relationship, and development of fathers themselves. Here is a plethora of results from a variety of researchers.
5 Things Dads can do to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children
Sometimes I have the opportunity to work with men on issues of fatherhood including the themes of communication, commitment, identity, intimacy and trust. The men I work with often have difficulties in their personal lives relating to the people they love most. They yearn for their children to be happy and successful, yet they often lack the skills and ability to model a way to help them accomplish this.
Dads Love, Laugh, Listen and Learn…
"Almost any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad."
The quality of Love, Laughter, Listening and Learning within a family are the key factors in its happiness and success. These four values are the foundation of any happy, healthy family and society.
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Visit the CPH&P Director, Louise Shalders’ website to read more of her articles related to Perinatal Health & Parenting. She is passionate about providing quality reading…