Better parenting – how to move towards a democratic parenting style
It’s almost a given that if you spent time in ten different homes, then you would see a variation in different parenting styles in each one of those ten domains, as well as at different times. However, authoritative or democratic parenting, which balances explicit demands with emotional awareness and respect of their child’s independence, is […]
Birth and adoption stories
It is so important for children to know the stories of their birth and how they became part of their families. Children will often ask to hear these stories over and over and telling this story is in fact one of the techniques used in filial therapy to promote bonding between a parent and child. […]
Addressing obesity in children
Our previous article about the psychological effects of obesity in children highlighted the devastating effect these children’s weight can have on their social and emotional development. In this article we are going to look at some of the ways in which parents can help undo some of the damage caused by obesity. 1. Help your […]
The psychological effects of obesity in children
Obesity in children is a major cause of social and emotional difficulties for those affected. It is one of the easiest diseases to recognise, but probably one of the most difficult to treat as overweight children are very likely to become overweight adults and to maintain their unhealthy lifestyles and to transfer these habits to […]
Free Copy of Crano Volcano Book
I am thrilled to announce the launch of my first book in – what will hopefully be a series of illustrated short stories for children. Anger management often comes up as an issue with some of my youngest clients. Toddlers and young children are easily angered and frustrated, but do not always know how to […]
Boosting your child’s self-esteem
When we came into this world as babies, it was with a clean slate. We knew absolutely nothing about ourselves and we automatically had high self esteem. Quickly our minds began to soak up information about ourselves from our parents and our environment. We soon began forming the self-image that would follow us into our […]
What exactly is self-esteem?
Brian Mesinger, PhD, a psychologist at the Fort Collins Youth Clinic in Colorado, defines the term in the following way; “Self-esteem is the collection of beliefs or feelings that we have about ourselves. How we define ourselves hugely influences our motivations, attitudes and behaviours”. Put simply, self-esteem is the value we place upon ourselves. It […]
Tips for developing your child’s emotional intelligence
Tips for developing your child’s emotional intelligence (and developing these characteristics yourself); ☺ Raise your children understanding that while all emotions are acceptable, not all behaviours are. ☺ Help your children to find appropriate and healthy ways of dealing with all of their emotions, especially the negative ones (this does not allow for them to […]
What is emotional intelligence?
It seems that every parenting magazine you pick up today is filled with pamphlets advertising talks and workshops for parents on the topic of emotional intelligence. What on earth is this? How important is it? And more significantly, what can we, as parents, do at home to promote emotional intelligence in our children and ourselves? Dr. […]
Sex education for young children
Many people feel that pre-school children are way too young to be given sex education but teaching children about sex from a young age is very, very important. Not only does it give them vital information to try and help protect themselves from sexual abuse, but sex is a human need and to assume that […]
