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25.01.2022 You may agree or disagree with this one. If your an affectionate person, then you may value affection within the family and see this as a way of being polite to others and showing your love. However this doesn’t mean our children are naturally affectionate, they may actually find it extremely uncomfortable to show affection to family members. ... For some children this discomfort when kissing and hugging others can be due to sensory sensitivity. Kind of like chalk on a blackboard for some people. Allowing children to have options when greeting relatives or saying goodbye will give them some control and not force them to kiss and hug. Giving them choice also allows them to recognise when they feel comfortable to be affectionate with a relative and when they don’t. This skill is also important for children to recognise when affection is safe or unsafe. Unfortunately many child abuse cases occur with familiar adults to the child. When they have your support and aren’t forced to be affectionate, they are learning that when they feel uncomfortable they can choose another option and don’t feel as thought they have to act in a particular way. Think about what you say to your child next time you see relatives. Giving them a few options to help them feel comfortable is a positive way for children to connect with their loved ones. See more

22.01.2022 This strategy is one of our favourites. It’s so simple to implement and very effective in getting your little ones to follow your instructions. Why do children resist our instructions? Why do they want to do the opposite to what we say? As soon as they learn the word no they sure are putting it to good use! If it makes you feel better, resisting against adults is a natural developmental process all children need to go through. ... Children are learning about their place in the world, they are working out what their purpose is. Just like us adults, feeling a sense of control is something children try to achieve when they push boundaries and resist. This doesn’t mean we need to let them have all the control they want, in fact children thrive off boundaries and need parents who take control. It really comes down to balance. Being directive as a parent but also allowing for children to have their say and giving them some control within your boundaries. The two-choices strategy is a good way to have this balance. You are giving an instruction, while allowing your children a choice within this. You will be surprised how much it changes your children’s response to what you ask of them. When they make a choice themselves, they are more likely to then follow through with their decision. The reason why we only give two choices, is because any more than this is too many for them to choose from and your then allowing too much control. Too much control given to your child can be challenging to regain. So instead of a whole wardrobe to choose their daily outfit, pick two outfits and give them a choice. Give it a go! See more

20.01.2022 You are the adult. You are their role model. You are their calm during their chaos. If you can’t practice calmness during chaotic times, then how can they? We get it, life is stressful. Especially as a parent. It’s not easy. You may be a working parent trying your hardest to balance life at home and work. You may simply be a mum or dad, spending your whole day with little ones who are quite frankly exhausting and you haven’t had a social life in weeks. You may have no ...time to yourself to do things that you love. But this is where the cycle starts. Your needs aren’t met, so you start to become stressed and resentful, you then cannot meet the needs of your child so their behaviours starts to become out of control, as a result you cannot do anything for yourself because your dealing with challenging behaviour. If you are finding yourself in a cycle of loosing control with your little ones behaviour, you need to stop and reflect on your own human needs. Ask yourself what you are missing right now, what do you need for yourself? Self-care is first and foremost! Do you need to get to the gym in the morning before the kids wake up? Do you need to take a walk each afternoon before dinner? Do you need to go out to dinner with your friends or your partner to reconnect? Perhaps family could help mind the kids? Or how about a babysitter? It’s important to find time within the week or even better, every day to care for yourself and meet your own needs. When you are calm your children will be calm. When your children loose control they can look to you for calm and reassurance. They need you, and you need you too. We would love to hear what you do for yourself during the week? This will help other parents with ways they can find time for self care too See more

20.01.2022 SENSORY PROCESSING. Sensory processing is a NORMAL process our bodies do every day all day. Our brains are constantly taking in sensory input and organising this in ways that allow us to act. Sometimes however our sensory systems can become ‘out of sync’. Children in particular are still developing their ability to process sensory input effectively. This along with your child’s ‘sensory preferences’ will result in certain behaviours. For example if your child’s seeking... some kind of movement or pressure and they aren’t able to receive this, what you see on the surface as naughty behaviours, is actually them trying to receive sensory input. If your child is highly sensitive to loud noises and busy places, they may stand behind you at a party and not want to join in. When sensory overload occurs you will see the big meltdown that many parents know all too well. This is when the sensory cup is overflowing and a traffic jam of sensory input in the brain occurs... enter meltdown. Sensory processing can mostly be seen within two categories ‘seeking’ and ‘avoiding’. There are actually many more categories of sensory processing however these two are the ones we see most commonly. Note that your child might have similar behaviours from both categories not one in particular. It’s also important to note that these sensory difficulties are normal for both children and adults to an extent. If your child has more than a few behaviours from a particular category and these sensory behaviours are starting to impact their everyday life and family then we advice to seek advice from a Paediatrician and/or Occupational Therapist. We will do another post with strategies for both sensory seeking and sensory avoiding behaviours. Easy strategies that you can do at home or a teacher can do in the classroom. See more

17.01.2022 What puts you at risk of parental burnout? 1. Little to no support from your partner. 2. Financial strain.... 3. Limited support from family or friends. 4. Having a perfectionist mindset 5. History of self doubt, depression, anxiety. 6. Full time working parents. 7. A child with a special need. 8. Having an I don’t like to ask for help attitude. Parents so often fall into a trap of burnout and lack of self care. When you feel like this you start to resent your children, your children feel this energy and misbehave. When your children misbehave you feel like a failure and become short fused with them. The cycle continues... Breaking this cycle is important for your self and your children. Being mindful of parental burnout and preventing this where possible. Reflecting on yourself and how much your filling your own cup. Do you need to ask for help? Do you need to lower your expectations? Do you need a break? Small changes can make big changes. It starts with you. Reach out if you need to chat @tahliashae See more

16.01.2022 Play and learning are not separate activities. Play IS learning. Research has shown over many years again and again that play is the highest form of research for children. I could go on all day about the benefits of play, it builds imagination, problem solving skills, mathematical thinking, literacy and language skills, social and emotional skills, physical skills, just to name a few. ... In fact, play actually helps children deal with psychological thoughts and regulates their anxieties, stress, and even trauma. To put this into context, a child who has seen a car accident or experienced one for themselves, will act this out in their play many times over as their brains way of processing the traumatic event and coping with it effectively. What is worrying about play today or lack there of, is we are seeing more children being diagnosed with various behaviour disorders or learning difficulties. Children are playing less than they were, we put more pressure on our children to learn, we want them to know numbers and letters before they reach school. We want them to do after school activities (and a lot of it), swimming, oz tag, dancing, soccer, tutoring! On the weekends or holidays we fill their days up with things to do we take them to the park, to the shops, to the movies, to play centres. We don’t let them just play. A recent study has shown, that diminishing classroom and home playtime could be responsible for the rise of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This is why play is so important, for the brain, for motor skills, and for mental health. Just let them play. See more

15.01.2022 Naughty corner... Time out. Which one is best for disciplining your child? The word ‘discipline’ certainly has changed over generations. As a parent I am sure you have faced the opinions of grandparents and even your own parents as they say things like back in my day children did as they were told, or else they were smacked. Only to see news stories saying that you shouldn’t smack your child. Then you learn about the naughty corner and time out and it very quickl...y becomes confusing! What we must come back to is the key word ‘discipline’ and what this means. The word discipline means ‘to teach’, this has never changed. If you shift your mindset from I am punishing my child for doing the wrong thing to I am teaching my child to choose a more appropriate behaviour next time then you can begin to make disciplining choices that feel right for your family. It really comes down to what your family values are and how you want your child to grow up and cope in society. Are time outs a realistic outcome for behaviour in the real world? Picture this... your having a disagreement with a co-worker and your boss tells you to go have some time out in another room, is this realistic? Or... your having a disagreement with a co worker and you decide that you need to go take a break to calm yourself down so you can continue with your job. ADULTS NEED CALM SPACES TOO! It’s much more realistic for you as an adult to recognise when your body is feeling stressed and so you take yourself to a calm space or you do whatever activities make you calm again. We need to teach children how to recognise when their bodies are heightened and they aren’t making good choices anymore. We can then teach them to choose to take some ‘calming time’ or ‘space’ until they are ready and feeling regulated again. To put this into perspective if your child is hitting you because you told them no. They are thinking with their emotional brain and are clearly feeling angry toward you. Saying something like You feel angry and you are using unsafe hands, let’s go to the calm space until you have calmed down. This teaches children so many valuable life lessons, much mo See more

15.01.2022 Calm parents = calm kids We say it a lot, you need to look after yourself before you can care for, nurture and discipline your children. Children pick up on our energy, if you are feeling stressed they will also feel it, the only difference is, children will show this stress in their behaviour. Your children may misbehave or have a bad week just like you are having a stressed week. ... Of course, parenting is stressful at times in itself. Particularly parenting in this generation, we are seeing more stressed parents and coincidentally we are seeing more behaviour problems in children. Parents have more pressures today, whether it’s financial pressure, social media pressure, or work pressure. There are high expectations for raising children. Not to mention, the unspoken aspects of mental health amongst mums and dads, in particular parents who stay at home raising their children. Anxious parents directly affect and cause anxious children. Stressed parents, result in stressed misbehaving children. This does not in anyway mean you should suppress your emotions and hide your stress or anxiety. It simply means that you need to fill your own cup before filling your child’s. It means, you need to understand why your children are misbehaving or anxious. When you have more understanding, you can respond in a more forgiving, empathetic way and the positive cycle begins. There is nothing wrong with being open to your children in times where they are misbehaving.... I’m sorry mummy reacted like that toward you, I am feeling a little anxious about moving house. Reflecting on yourself, how are you feeling? Do you need more support? Is your cup empty and how can you fill it up tomorrow? See more

15.01.2022 Rain outside... bored kids? What if we told you being bored is actually a good thing. Filling your little ones days with an abundance of activities, taking them to the movies, bowling, and every play centre possible is common as many parents fear their bored stir-crazy little ones. And this is okay! Don’t get us wrong these wonderful places you can take your children to are certainly a good option.... We just need to remember that sometimes being bored at home is also okay. Being bored encourages children to think creatively, make decisions, and problem solve. So next time you hear I’m bored you can respond with oh being bored is wonderful! Maybe you can think of a new activity to do if your child isn’t sure you can offer some suggestions. We also love our toy rotation strategy which involves a weekly rotation of activities available to your child. So select 5-10 at a time and pack away the rest. Each week rotate the activities. It’s simple and it’s highly effective in keeping children engaged in play and reducing misbehaviours. Hand up if you do toy rotations in your home These wonderful play mats are from @gathre See more

15.01.2022 SENSORY PROCESSING In its basic form, we have seven senses that our body uses together to process information about the world and helps us behave in certain ways to respond to this input. Our seven senses are visual, auditory, gustatory (taste), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), proprioceptive (awareness of body in space), and vestibular (movement and balance). Sensory processing occurs when the brain receives, organises, and responds to sensory input in order to beh...ave in a meaningful way. For example you hear the cars come to a stop and see the traffic lights change, you then cross the road. Sometimes our sensory input does not connect effectively to our brain. We may get a sensory overload where too much input is being received and not processed or we may be seeking more sensory input because we are not receiving enough. Think of it as a traffic jam in the brain. This difficulty processing can quickly cause our children to meltdown or present as challenging behaviour. Adults can certainly have tantrums from a sensory traffic jam too! Picture this, you are trying to listen to a podcast but your children are trying to talk to you, the dog starts barking, and then your husband walks in and asks a question. Your auditory sense is in overload and you can’t handle it anymore. Children and adults also have sensory preferences which makes you either more seeking of a particular sensory feeling or you may dislike and avoid particular sensory inputs. Your child may seek constant movement or touch, but they may dislike very noisy environments. You may enjoy playing loud music but you may dislike massages or be very ticklish. Some people prefer to have a heavy doona when they sleep, while others don’t. Having sensory preferences is normal and makes us all different. Children’s sensory preferences may be more intense compared to adults due to their developing brains. Knowing your children’s sensory preferences can greatly help you to understand their behaviour. We will be talking more about sensory in up coming posts and when to be more concerned about your child’s sensory challenges. See more

14.01.2022 Sibling arguments are NORMAL and actually a necessary part of developmental growth. Many sibling arguments will not need your intervention. In other words, you don’t need to get involved and solve the problem for them. If you hear your children arguing, try removing yourself from the room first. Often your children will argue with each other back and forth because they know you can hear them. Let them try work it out themselves first. ... If the argument still continues after you have left then you can offer your ear to listen to both sides. No need to join the argument and raise your voice, just listen. Don’t solve your children’s problems, you won’t be there to solve their problems at work and in their future relationships so don’t start now. What you can do is teach problem solving skills and ask questions what do you think will make your brother feel better again? How do you feel about that? What could you do next time?. If the argument cannot be resolved, offer some solutions and then move on. Sometimes this may be a suggestion to separate your children because they need a break from each other. You could give them different activities to do in their bedrooms until they are calm and ready to interact again. See more

13.01.2022 How do I tell if my child has sensory processing disorder? In a previous post, we discussed that sensory processing is something every single one of us do all day everyday and is necessary for functioning. However there are times where sensory information gets jumbled, like a traffic jam inside the brain. This can result in our children becoming sensory overloaded, they may become hyperactive, they may not be able to get going, they may become confused, they may also ...enter into a fight/flight response. This ‘traffic jam’ in the brain is typically seen in many children and even adults. On the surface we may see naughty behaviour like running away, lashing out, having a meltdown, avoiding a task, disengagement, or becoming heightened or hyper. However what’s really going on behind this behaviour is actually a child who is sensory overloaded, sensory seeking, or sensory avoiding. So when do sensory processing difficulties become something that needs more attention? Consider how frequent the sensory needs are? Do they have multiple sensory needs not just one or two? Does the sensory behaviour happen in every setting e.g. preschool, park, or just one e.g. home? Does the sensory behaviour negatively impact your child’s ability to function and do everyday tasks? It’s these questions that can lead you to some support and advice from professionals. Early intervention is highly important when we see something impacting our child everyday. Sensory processing disorder can be diagnosed by an Occupational Therapist, who can then provide the right strategies and supports for you and your child to regulate their sensory needs and function to their best ability in all aspects of life. In the next few weeks we will be discussing strategies for children with particular sensory needs e.g. sensory cravings, and sensory avoidance. These are common sensory needs we are seeing more and more in children and there are some wonderful common sense strategies to support them! @luca.earthh

11.01.2022 PARENTING STYLE. From permissive parent, to helicopter mum, or authoritarian controlling, what style are you and which one is best? We will tell you this, none of them are best there is no best parent award. There’s so much conflicting content out there today telling parents how to be a parent and how to raise their child. ... While calm the chaos certainly aims to provide parents with advice and strategies, we are not about telling parents exactly how they should raise their children and what type of parent they have to be. At the end of the day, every parent is doing their best and that’s all that really matters. While researchers will tell you which parenting style is best, we say it’s all about balance. Your parenting style may even change day to day and that’s okay. Authoritative parenting is a balance between a permissive and authoritarian approach. It is both the structure and boundaries of the authoritative parent and the understanding of the permissive parent. However with all parenting we want to remember that discipline is all about teaching not controlling. Guiding your children to make the right choices rather than telling them how they should think and act. Find your balance between taking control over important situations because your children need you to be in control, and letting your children make decisions and learn from life experiences. So with all the overwhelming advice from the books, internet and social media, remember the key word that is... balance. @mumma_vaasa

11.01.2022 Raising psychologically healthy children. Why do we focus so much on our children’s skills? On their ability to write, kick a ball, count to 100. Why do we care so much about their academics? Your child’s mental health is more important than academics right now. Mentally strong children are resilient, able to tackle problems, bounce back from failure, and cope with life’s challenges.... And it starts with you as their parent... Raising psychologically healthy children means disciplining with respect not shame. Disciplining constructively, fairly and consistently not punishing our children. Disciplining means teaching them to do better next time, not making them suffer from their mistakes. Teach them the value of love, apologies, cooperation, patience, forgiveness, and respect for others. Reflect on yourselves as parents, are you mentally healthy? Do you need help? Your child’s mental health is largely affected by yours, you are their most important role model in life. How you cope with situations, and talk about your emotions, they are watching and listening. Raising psychologically healthy children starts with you. It starts with how you speak to them, how you love them and how you discipline them. @thesunkissedfolk

10.01.2022 Seems fairly obvious right? But the classic empty threat comes to play when the word No is used. No is probably the most frequent word used by most parents, and it’s overuse counteracts its actual meaning. ... The way children’s brains are wired, they quite literally don’t hear the word no (parents like to call this selective hearing). This is because humans often don’t listen to all of what is being said, instead we only hear the intent of what is being said. Children have more chance of hearing what you want them to do, not what you don’t want them to do. So when you use the word no or don’t too frequently, they become desensitised to the word and it looses its meaning. So my point is, lessen the amount you use the word no. Keep no for serious challenging or red zone behaviours. Keep no for dangerous behaviour and for your child’s safety. When you do say no mean it. Follow through straight away. Teach your children that no means no and there is absolutely no way of pushing that. Let’s put this into context... your child is hitting and kicking a sibling. This behaviour is a red zone behaviour, it is dangerous. This is a behaviour you can use the word no for. You can say no, we do not hit and kick. Then back it up with action straight away. Move your child to the calm space. Let’s look at a situation where you might negotiate... you are at the shops and your child asks for a donut, you don’t want them to have it right now but perhaps if they are well behaved during shopping you might consider it. Don’t use the word no instead say okay maybe when we finish or let’s talk about it when we are done shopping. Use NO less to make NO mean more. See more

09.01.2022 Mealtimes are often when we pull out all the bribery we can think of. But is this bad? Not really! Sometimes you’ve gotta do what works for you as a parent and if that means offering ice-cream just to get some food in, then go for it. Bribery is not bad, think of it more as positive reinforcement sometimes children need some motivation to try new things. Like eating a new food or toilet training. If you can get them to try a new food because they are motivated by a ...treat afterwards then great! Every parent uses bribery so don’t feel guilty about it! However the general rule of thumb is, use bribery like positive reinforcement, give reinforcement AFTER a POSITIVE behaviour. We don’t want to be using bribery to STOP a NEGATIVE behaviour... so be careful when you catch yourself saying stop hitting your brother and I’ll give you a chocolate. Otherwise use all the bribes you need just to get by on those hard days. You’re not a bad parent for it, you’re a normal one! See more

07.01.2022 LET OLDER SIBLINGS TAKE TOYS FROM THE BABY. Yes you heard it right, if your older child snatches from the baby... let them. After all it’s hard sharing attention and time with a new sibling... why should I share my toys? For many children, a new baby in the house is a threat to their survival. Their brains sense that there is going to be less for them. Less food, less attention, and fewer resources. ... So we must understand how scary this transition would be for children. They experience a complete parental shift and are expected to get along and ‘share’ their attention with you. A child may think well the baby takes everything away from me, why shouldn’t I take this toy off them. Not only does the new baby arrive in the house but all of their new shiny toys do too. Children are grasping at any sense of control they can get over a situation they have zero control or choice of. So.. we need to empathise with our older children’s feelings but we don’t need to intervene on the babies behalf when a toy is taken off them. Toy taking is a harmless way to allow children to take back some control. If we force sharing, we are only building upon older children’s frustration and resentment toward the baby. So what can you do when a toy is snatched? First, empathise with your child you must be feeling frustrated, it’s hard having a new person in the house or you can simply say nothing, if the baby isn’t upset why should we be. If the baby is upset, you can simply make your child aware of babies feelings... oh she was holding that, she looks quite upset, this way your child can decide if she wants to share based on her own empathy. If not, move on and give baby something else. Most importantly, try to give older children some one-on-one time. Balancing attention as best as you can See more

05.01.2022 The littlest of the little people certainly have some big behaviours! We’ve had lots of requests to talk on toddler behaviour, and we know why! Toddlers can be challenging, with minimal language and a developing brain we need to discipline a little differently. Staying CALM is the one word you will hear a lot! (It’s in our name after all), this goes for babies, toddlers, children and teenagers! Our little people don’t have the self-control that we do (most of the time!...) to stay calm and regulated. It’s easier said than done and we all know that staying calm all the time isn’t possible, and that’s okay. However we need to practice staying calm in stressful situations or moments of high emotions and challenging behaviour with our toddlers. If we don’t, who is going to be the captain of the ship? If it means walking away from your screaming toddler for a minute to take a few deep breaths then do it. Our second tip for physical behaviours with toddlers is to IGNORE. The reason why this strategy is so successful? Most of the time toddlers repeat physical behaviours because their parents have given them a big reaction the first time. For example: toddler hits you... your face goes and you say ouch don’t hit mummy that hurts!. Your toddler receives instant attention + a more animated voice = repeat this behaviour again. So when we want to stop this challenging behaviour we IGNORE the behaviour and give attention to more positive behaviours e.g. playing nicely. If the behaviour is unsafe,like banging their head on a hard surface. Move your child to a safer space (with no attention) to have their tantrum e.g. bed, carpet, pillows. Our last strategy is to RECOGNISE emotions and SET LIMITS. Using a calm voice (no big reactions) and recognise the emotion I see your feeling sad, angry, frustrated then set the limit I will not let you hit mummy, then follow through by moving away. Remember, these strategies take practice. Be kind to yourself in the process, it’s not easy but you’ve got this! See more

05.01.2022 Hello Parker! Did you know... A child’s brain has its most dramatic growth period from birth until the age of 5. ... By the age of two a child has twice as many brain connections as an adult! Hence why early childhood is such an important life stage. Our little ones learn from observation and play. Their brain really is like a sponge, soaking up as much info as possible. @allanaferg_ See more

05.01.2022 Natural consequences. As you may have guessed, a natural consequence is something that happens naturally as a result of a certain action or behaviour. A natural consequence occurs without parental interference. However we often respond to natural consequences with told you so comments and lectures mummy said you would be cold but you refused your jacket, this is why I got it out this morning but you didn’t put it on.... Children can learn from their own mistakes, in fact sometimes they learn more from their own experience. They may then decide to make a different choice next time or perhaps they need to experience the same natural consequence a few times over. Some natural consequences may include: not wearing a jacket and being cold, slipping over when running on wet ground, not eating dinner and being hungry, not cleaning up toys and they get broken. We don’t need to blame and shame our children when they experience a natural consequence, instead we want to validate their feelings and then support them to problem solve a solution so they can make different choices in the future. For example, if your child leaves their toys out and dad steps on one and breaks it. You can say oh I would be upset too if my toy broke, it was just an accident, what could you do next time to make sure this doesn’t happen again?. Although we don’t want to intervene with natural consequences, some certainly cannot be ignored. For example if your child is in danger we certainly need to intervene to ensure their safety. Also, if the natural consequence doesn’t bother the child, we need to offer our advice and support, for example a child who doesn’t care if they don’t have a bath for days on end. Rather than letting the natural consequence of them smelling take its course, we would obviously want to intervene here See more

03.01.2022 I don’t consider the consequences of my actions ahead of time because I live in the moment. My brain is still developing and I act on impulse and curiosity. As I mature, along with your understanding and gentle guidance, I will begin to behave more appropriately. I need boundaries as well as freedom, I need control as well as choice, I need discipline not punishment. ...

03.01.2022 BEDTIME HEAD BANGING? We have actually been asked about head banging amongst babies and toddlers a lot. While it may appear worrying and hard to watch. It is actually a normal soothing or rhythmic behaviour. ... In fact, twenty percent of healthy babies and toddlers are headbangers, usually between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. It’s also more common in boys. The reasons for head banging can vary, it could be due to teething or an ear ache, your child may head bang to block out pain. It can be a form of self soothing or self settling to sleep. Head banging can also be due to frustration, under stimulation or even over stimulation. So what can you do about it? If your child is head banging in their cot at night, move the cot off the wall and put padding under the cot legs to reduce the noise and soften the impact, this also works in a carpeted room. If your child is head banging out of the cot, don’t draw too much attention to it (this will then cause an attention seeking behaviour). Instead, distract your child to a different activity or divert their attention elsewhere. You can also play music to give your child a different rhythm to enjoy. When should you worry about head banging? If your child continues this beyond 3 years of age. If it interferes with sleep. If head banging is combined with not achieving mile stones or you have other behaviour concerns. Always consult a professional if you are concerned. @gathre See more

03.01.2022 You say pink and your toddler says purple even if pink is their favourite colour. You say yes, they say no. You say let’s watch wiggles and they say no watch bluey. Why are they being difficult? They liked pink yesterday and they always watch the wiggles. Little ones resist, defy, and push limits because they are developing independence and autonomy. ... If children wanted what we wanted then they wouldn’t be able to assert themselves as individuals. Children resist and test boundaries to feel safe and secure in the world, they are asking who will make decisions for me? What decisions can I make? What are the rules in my home that keep me safe. When they resist bedtime, they are asking whether this is a decision they can make or their parents. Each time parents are consistent and follow through with setting limits children learn where the line is drawn and will reduce bending that line next time. So rather than getting offended when your child wants the opposite to you, simply remember that this is a healthy part of development. Perspective is everything when it comes to parenting, if you see the whys behind behaviour then you can respond mindfully rather than react. See more

02.01.2022 They are going stir crazy indoors! You may fear rainy days stuck inside because you know your children’s behaviour will become challenging. They start to get beyond bored, they won’t sit still for a movie, they want to eat all the time (endless snacking), the house starts to become a huge mess, and they just need to move. Don’t worry it’s totally normal! But we have some easy tips to save your sanity and theirs. It all comes down to having structure and familiarity wi...th routines. Children thrive off structure and boundaries. When they are given too much unstructured time, which is common on days stuck inside, they will start to misbehave to regain some control. Tips for rainy days inside: Set up visual schedules. These are super effective for managing behaviour. Visual schedules reduce anxious feelings and give children structure. If you haven’t already bought our visual schedules then your missing out! Toy rotation: we talk about this strategy a lot! It’s simple, sort and pack away toys into storage, only have out a few toys/activities on a shelf or basket. Usually we would recommend rotating toys every 1-2 weeks however on a rainy day, you can get out a few new activities for the day. Rainy day only toys: if you don’t have toy rotation set up in your home. You can put away specific activities in storage and only get them out for rainy days. Have regular movement breaks, do some dancing, yoga, make an obstacle course or even go outside with a rain coat and boots to break up the day. Pack a lunch box for each of your kids even when staying home. This is a wonderful idea from @love.fromkatie and will stop endless snacking in the cupboards. Head over to her stories to see how well it works! Limit screen time: this seems like an obvious one but sometimes rainy days result in children watching hours of Tv and usually with the iPad on at the same time. One movie during the day is a good amount and you can all do this together for some joint attention. An hour of iPad time is also fine as long as this is balanced with play and movement activities. Play calming music. This really helps, music changes energy leve See more

01.01.2022 Appropriate play will decrease challenging behaviour at home. Children hanging off you? Whining? Hitting siblings? Constantly asking for food? Arguing? Negotiating? Tantrums? If this is what a day at home with your children looks like then your not alone. Most of the time challenging and attention seeking behaviours occur when children are under stimulated, bored, and even overstimulated. What causes these things? Your home environment, more specifically your child’s p...lay environment. What does your toy situation look like at home? Are there mass amounts of toys on the floor? Are toys shoved into baskets and toy boxes? Again, if this is you, it’s completely normal! But when we look at the factors that cause challenging behaviours, we can see what can also encourage positive behaviour. Creating a stimulating inviting play environment. Enter -> toy cycles or toy rotation. This is a very successful way to prevent challenging behaviour and yet it is so easy! Children engage in play for longer periods of time and play more deeply when there are less toys available. Not only this, when toys are rotated on a weekly or monthly cycle, toys become brand new and exciting again. Give this one a go in your home! I can guarantee it will be a game changer!! See more