Communication, Kids and Culture
“It’s just a phase” is a classic bit of parenting wisdom. It doesn’t always feel like that: “Oh, don’t worry, it’s just a phase…” can be really annoying if someone uses it in a well-meaning attempt to reassure you, when … Read More
The kids are all back at school, some will have just started, or moved to a new one, and parents all over the land will be worrying about them settling in OK. When you’re a parent there’s always something new … Read More
I remember once, years ago, seeing a toddler wearing baby reins being led around a playground by his over-protective parents. The playground was all grass, so as safe as you get (when I was a kid they were all hard … Read More
That was a trick question, the obvious answer is ‘well, duh, yes of course we should listen to children.’ We should listen to children very carefully. By carefully, I mean that in the way we listen we should take care … Read More
So our child is treating us with disrespect or contempt and we’re feeling really pissed off. How do we do ‘pissed off’ effectively? When managing disrespect from our child there are a few do’s and don’ts: Managing Disrespect Don’ts: Don’t … Read More
I refuse to worry about my daughter. Point blank refuse. She’s fifteen so there’s lots I know I should be worrying about but I am not going to. I refuse to worry about my daughter because of the unequal society … Read More
I’m not a fan of strategies and techniques of behaviour-management and discipline, I never have been, partly because it all sounds too much like hard work to me and I’m basically lazy. I’m also uncomfortable with the words themselves, they … Read More
My fifteen-year-old daughter went to a party last Saturday night, after which she had a ‘sleepover’ at her friend’s house. She does this so often I’m wondering when she’s going to stop calling it a sleepover and just say she’s … Read More
There are some ways we treat our kids which we wouldn’t like ourselves, I’ve done it, and for some reason I’ve imagined that even though it wouldn’t work for me, it should work for them. It never has. Here are … Read More
I’ve always hated homework, I’ll set out my stall from the start so that you know in advance that in this subject I am biased. I remember as a child the awful misery of Sunday evenings trying to get all … Read More