Talking to children about death

Talking to children about death when a family member or pet has passed away will help them develop emotional coping skills for later on in life.  Unpleasant as it may be death is an inescapable fact of life – and one that many children will be faced with at some time or another. When talking […]

Helping children with fear – advice from a Play Therapist

Helping Children with Fear – advice from a Play Therapist All children have fears at some point in their life and it is usually considered to be a normal part of development. These fears are only abnormal if they are persistent or interfere with the child’s normal activities. Toddlers normally have simple fears of separation, […]

What is selective mutism?

Children who suffer from selective mutism are able to speak and have a good understanding of language, but do not speak in specific situations or to specific people. Experts have found that children with selective mutism suffer from severe anxiety and it is this anxiety that prevents them from speaking – in essence the mutism […]

What is play therapy? – A play therapist explains

What is Play Therapy? “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~ Plato Play therapy is a therapeutic medium used by therapists who work with children. Children cannot always express themselves and speak about their feelings. Play therapy helps children to work through their […]

How to listen to your child

How to listen to your child “Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you…no matter what. If you don’t listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won’t tell you the big stuff when they are big. Because, to them, all of it has always been big stuff.” ~ Catherine. […]

Play therapy – 6 things parents shouldn’t do

  6 things not to do when your child goes for play therapy There are quite a few articles out there with helpful hints on what to do when your child goes for play therapy, but what must you not do?  Here are a few helpful tips or things to avoid when your child goes […]

What is play therapy and how does it work?

How play therapy may be helpful during the Covid-19 crisis

What is play therapy? Play therapy is simply a child friendly way of engaging with children. It provides a way for them to talk about their feelings and experiences or to deal with trauma. Children mimic and explore their world through play. So it makes sens that they will often communicate through their play or […]

Thoughts on praising a child

Praise has gotten a lot of media attention lately and many parenting magazines and blogs now seem to offer conflicting advice about whether or not to praise your children.  Personally, I think we’re simply over-thinking the issue.  To me, praise is a natural reaction – when you’re impressed by something someone has done, you praise […]

How to deal with temper tantrums

Dealing with temper tantrums is undoubtedly one of the least fun aspects of parenting.  The balance between building your child’s confidence and setting appropriate boundaries is easily upset and may result in a range of negative outcomes if the scale swings too far in either direction.  Here are some of the ways in which you […]

Effects of divorce on kids – what are the risk factors?

A divorce is, by it’s very nature a traumatic and unpleasant experience for all concerned.  This is a very difficult time for children, but parents may unknowingly make the experience harder than it needs to be. Divorce can have a long-lasting negative impact on children’s development and in this article we look at some of […]