COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR CHILD

Explain why you say no. Don’t say: “Because I said so!” They want and deserve an explanation. Explaining to your child why you want them to do something, or why you don’t want them to do something, explains the value of it. Once your child understands your reason,...

CATCH YOUR CHILD BEING GOOD

We are so good at catching our children being naughty or doing something wrong!  We should focus more on catching them being good. “Thank you for helping your little brother with his puzzle this afternoon.” “I noticed that you made your bed this morning! Well done!”...

PARENTING: BE CONSISTENT

How would you feel if your boss consistently came down hard on you on a daily basis and never allowed you to make even small mistakes? What would it do to your emotional state and self-esteem? Be kind when things go wrong or when your child does something you don’t...

PARENTING: BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL

Children learn from the people they look up to – mostly their parents. Display behaviours that you would like your children to display. Be kind. Be honest. Be calm and behave well when things go wrong. Watch what you say in front of them – even your toddlers. They...

PARENTING: ADJUST YOUR PARENTING STYLE

What works for you when your child is two years old may not work when your child is ten years old. You won’t teach a two-year old how to use the stove, but you should be willing to teach a ten-year old. If you constantly find yourself saying “no” to your child, you...

ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR WEAKNESSES AS A PARENT

Acknowledge your weaknesses and shortcomings as an imperfect parent and resolve to work on it. You don’t have all the answers and you won’t always get it right, but you can do better every time something goes wrong. Learn from your mistakes and fix it. Do better next...