Redirecting Children

Concerns regarding usage of social media apps by primary school students When it comes to cyber security concerns, a lot of focus is often placed on gaming or internet access that is centred around children being exposed to content they should not see or that is violent, sexualised or not age appropriate. This kind of content however can also be passed on by other student friends whose parents may not have as tight controls on their children’s usage of the internet.  There ar

I am constantly looking at ways to let more and more parents know that they are not alone and that with some simple strategies in place all parents can enjoy raising their family and have peace and love to dominate their family's everyday interactions. Throughout the parenting journey you will of course come across situations in which you won't know what to do. These are the times when you will need to go out and find the answers. That means finding what strategies will work

I recently came across this article which I’m sure many of us can relate to. Sometimes when we argue with our children we get so wrapped up in conflict and become so busy taking things personally. The key is to sift through the emotions and remember that all negative behaviour is a form of communication and if our children get into a habit of communicating their needs in an unhealthy way it is our job as parents to lovingly show them a better way to fulfill those needs. “Ele

I came across this article about ‘waiting’. Sometimes it seems like there is persistent pressure on parents to give their children every experience possible before the age of five when what our children really need is for us to have the courage to wait for them to be ready. Here are a number of areas where we could wait. 1. Wait for development of an infant or toddler’s motor skills, toilet learning, language and other preschool learning skills. Notice a child’s satisfaction

Q. Should I persist with making my kids do household chores? A. Research shows that children learn in many ways about family relationships and how their family functions. Being involved in household jobs is one way they can learn. Try, however to make it a positive experience. The following suggestions might help: Sit down and have a family discussion about how you need their help around the house and how it runs. Discuss what kind of jobs they would be willing to do to help

Humans are very social beings. When it comes to friendships we all have particular needs which we try to fulfil. We need to feel loved, to feel we belong, and to feel valued. Children are no different and so making long-lasting friendships helps them to Sometimes this can be difficult for some to achieve. The reasons can be many and varied. It may be because of the actions of others, it may be their own actions or it may be a bit of both. It’s helpful to remember that for chi

Family conflict can be a good thing or it can be very destructive to the family environment. There is nothing wrong with family members having disagreements in fact it is very normal and healthy. It’s what happens during these disagreements and how they are handled and resolved that makes the difference between good and bad conflict. So what does it look like when families are ok with conflict? Families that are ok with conflict are able to disagree respectfully with each o

Sleep is a vitally important need, necessary to a child's strong health and growth. Sleep enables the body and mind to perform at its peak. Children who get enough sleep are more likely to function at a higher level and are less prone to behavioural problems and moodiness. Sleep restores us, helps the body to repair damaged cells and grow new ones, keeps the body's nervous system working properly, and helps us to consolidate memory (to remember what we learned during the day

We can help each member of the family fulfil their individual needs in a positive way by holding weekly family meetings. Family life is becoming more and more structured. Each day is filled with school, after-school activities, needing to be bathed and fed, parents struggling to get food on the table and complete the daily household chores. Often it is left to screen time to keep everyone quiet. The main loser in all of this is the time and space to interact and communicate

At some point, parents are faced with choosing what to do when children exceed the limit, break an agreement, or step outside the rules. If a parent chooses punishment, his underlying belief is that children must be made to feel so bad about their misbehaviour that they will never do it again. Unfortunately, when we punish, we also push our children away. We create distance in the relationship. This becomes clear when we remember moments from our own childhood when we were