5 negative emotions your child needs to experience
Everybody loves the positive emotions, right?! Bring on happiness, joy, pride and love by the truck full. But negative emotions make us feel uncomfortable and often, we do our utter best to avoid them. Yet, negative emotions are important. We probably all agree that people who are able to control their emotions navigate the difficulties […]
When kids are too scared to try
It breaks my heart. They sit at my desk looking like deer in headlights: eyes wide; nostrils flaring and stubbornly, resolutely refusing to even just try. Their potential is so obvious! I know that if I could fast forward into the future these will be the star athletes, ground-breaking scientist and award-winning actresses of tomorrow […]
Self-mutilation in children and teens
Self-mutilation (sometimes also referred to as self-harm or self-injury) is defined as all acts by which an individual deliberately sets out to harm his or her own body. In the majority of self-mutilation cases suicide is not the main aim and the injuries inflicted are not life threatening. I realise that this is a […]
The effects of parental stress on children
It seems to me that parents are more stressed out than ever before! The advent of smart phones has created the expectation that we should be available to respond to work queries immediately, all around the clock. When I was little it was very unusual for either of my parents to bring work home, […]
Coping skills for kids – what your child needs to know
Why are coping skills important? By teaching our children coping skills we are giving them the tools that will allow them to cope with challenges in the future. It might not come easily at first, but practicing these skills from an early age can be likened to “weight-lifting” for the brain. Each time they use […]
The impact of child abuse on the developing brain
Child abuse is an especially poignant topic in South Africa. In 2012 there were over 50 000 reported incidences of violence against children. An even scarier statistic is that, on average, 3 children are murdered in SA every day. The impact of child abuse on adult survivors is varied. Experts have known for years that […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Should you be getting rid of the TV for the kids’ sake?
I grew up in a house where we spent about 90% of our free time watching Television. We watched the 7 am cartoon while we were having breakfast and tuned in to K-TV when we got back from school in the afternoons. My mother had the good sense to deny us access to the TV […]
