Our youngest child is nothing like the two before her. She has an independent streak but at the same time will not leave our sides. Literally. Whether we are walking, sitting or lying down in bed, she insists on being in between mummy and daddy. This went on till she was about three years old.
News like this is a worry for most parents. “Will my child develop mental health problems? What can I do about it? Will they tell me if something is going on?” We know that it is impossible to protect our children from every single thing, especially as they become teenagers and seek greater independence. But
My Girl T, the eldest of three children, is loaded with confidence and intelligence. Some would attribute these traits to Nature, saying that they are in her genes. I would like to think that the way she was nurtured enabled her to fulfil the potential coded in her genes. Research seems to agree with me.
Traditionally, the father has primarily been a breadwinner: he works hard at his job to financially support his family. He is also a hero to his children, and a model of masculinity to his boys. By the end of the twentieth century the scope of fatherhood had expanded to include involvement. The “involved father” is
When we become parents, we bring with us issues from our own past that influence the way we parent our children. Experiences that are not fully processed may create unresolved and leftover issues that influence how we react to our children. These issues can easily get triggered in the parent-child relationship. When this happens our
For years, husbands have been stuck with the mantra “happy wife, happy life” because nothing rhymes with husband. The closest anyone has ever come was “happy husband, stuff gets done.” Some have suggested to replace the old, tired, gendered “happy wife, happy life” mantra with the much more postmodern “happy spouse, happy house.” No doubt,
A mother decides to go to the mall with her two-year old toddler. As they walk around the mall, they spot a toy store. Inside the toy store, the toddler spots an item and begins to nag the mother to purchase it. The mother says no. The toddler begins to cry and scream. Still, the
Time outs continue to be a powerful and effective means of motivating children’s compliance through about age 11 or 12. The point of the time-out is to give a child the time and space they need to calm themselves down, regain the ability to think clearly, and then come back to the situation and make
“Blood is thicker than water” is a 15th Century proverb that implies that family relationships are always more important that friends. It was a social norm and everyone understood that, “If you ever need help, don’t ask your friends. Come home and ask us, your family. Blood runs thicker than water.”[1] But does this proverb
Think back to the time you played at a playground. There were many different colours and shapes to stimulate your mind. The wide open spaces compelled you to run around and explore. There were ropes to climb and tunnels to crawl through, to test and train your strength and agility. You were probably not alone
