Parenting Advice

Don’t mess up an apology with an excuse

“When you hit a wrong note – it’s the next note that makes it good or bad” Miles Davis One of the hardest things about parenting is having to accept that we aren’t always able to do and say things to our children the way we feel we should. Being a parent is fraught with…

When the parenting tools don’t work

· As a well-read parent you know many of the strategies offered by parenting experts, you've bought the books and know the theory. But there is a sense that despite the best will in the world, the tools are not enough. This is a familiar but less talked about block to parenting more consciously ·

These days it is pretty easy to know a lot about many things. On social media the squares are filled with sage advice, memes and expert opinion neatly presented and easy to agree with in theory. Yet, one thing is to be able to wrap our intellectual mind around a concept – it is quite…

Who’s responsible for the atmosphere in your home?

· When our children start speaking to us in ways that we don't like it is time to get curious. Yet, often we respond to disrespectful language and harsh attitudes like it is our child's job to change the tune. Here's why this approach will make you wait a long time, and what you can do right now to re-boot unwanted dynamics ·

Responsibility. It feels like a heavy word. But for a parent the concept of responsibility isn’t exactly foreign. From the moment we meet our little human we are acutely aware of our responsibility. Which is why we do everything we do from; Making sure they have a balanced diet, that they brush their teeth, they…

Raising siblings – the key to a good sibling relationship (webinar)

Louise Brooks
May 20, 2021
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Sibling conflict is one of the greatest sources of stress for families. Learn how you can best support this relationship and keep your cool

Are you dreading your child’s reaction?

· There is more to saying no than merely uttering this two letter word. The fact that our child's reaction is out of our control can make it tempting to stretch further than we actually want to in the pursuit of keeping the peace. But - there is a price to pay ·

Louise Brooks
All blog posts, Parenting Tips, Toddlers, Tweens and Teens, Uncategorized
Apr 30, 2021
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If you were to be given a coin for every time your child asks you a question that requires you to say yes or no – and often RIGHT NOW – you would be laughing all the way to the bank. Numerous times a day we get to flex our boundary setting muscles which should…

Three reasons threats don’t work as a motivation strategy

· You might think to yourself; threats never did me any harm when I stepped out line. So what's the big problem? The thing is, threats work in the here and now but don't give you what you ultimately yearn for ·

I think very few parents can say they’ve never given a threat when faced with a child who just WILL NOT listen. After all, most of us were raised in this way. “Do this..or…” ‘Threat’ may sound like an exaggeration to you. But if a friend or your partner talked to you in this way…

The surprising thing about strong will

…. Is that strong will is healthy. Commonly we speak about strong will in children as if it is a diagnosis. Something that needs curing. And preferably without us having to look at our own share in how this character trait has become a problem for the family. I think we are all aware that…

Whose script does your family live by?

· Often it is not our own. Bombarded with expert advice on everything from our sex life to co-sleeping it is little wonder it can be hard to feel like a 'good enough mum'. ·

Few things attract more opinion and give rise to more debate than does parenthood and family life. With social media at our finger tips and expert advice, statistics and studies on ‘right parenting’ and the recipe for a good marriage filling every lifestyle magazine – it is perhaps little wonder that we often loose contact…

Are children allowed to interrupt?

Twenty years ago this question would seem ludicrous. Of course children would have to wait their turn while the adults were talking. Today it is not quite so straightforward. As our generation of parents try hard to validate feelings, boost self-worth and ensure our children feel happy and good about themselves, saying no and denying…

Does your “easy” child get too little attention?

Most parents of more than one child will find that they have what you could term one ‘easy’ child. Your ‘easy’ child doesn’t fuss. At least not as much as your more strong-willed child. Your ‘easy’ child tends to get on with things, follows instructions willingly and has an amenable temperament that the whole family…

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