Last night, after a big day of house and garden work, I was exhausted and ready for the day to be over already! I was lying on the floor with my son, rolling around a bit, and then suddenly I was inspired to play a game that I call “Stuck on you”. I was in the … Continue reading A fun game to release tension around separation – “Stuck on you”
You probably already know that I’m a big fan of power reversal games for turning around challenging parenting situations! But did you know that this same kind of game can be really effective in inspiring kids to cooperate with those every day tasks that can sometimes become such a drag? Things like getting clothes or pyjamas on, … Continue reading Power reversal games to inspire cooperation with everyday tasks
When kids’ behaviour becomes unenjoyable - they might be whinging, whining, demanding or making irritating noises, or they might be doing things they know you don't want them to do, or not doing things they know you would like them to do - it can often be a sign that their EMOTIONAL CUP is feeing … Continue reading Addressing off track behaviour by filling kids’ emotional cups – The “Love Cream” game
I wrote something recently about how to respond playfully if our kids tell us to “shut up”. You can read that one here: Responding playfully to being told to “Shut up!”: The ventriloquist game! And I had someone ask me if I had any suggestions for when kids’ use of harsh words goes beyond this, into … Continue reading What to do when kids’ swearing becomes an issue
Does your child ever tell you to “shut up!”? Mine does. It doesn't happen often. But every now and then, when he’s upset, it will come out of his mouth. It’s a sign that he has some big feelings; he isn’t feeling heard, or he can't bear to hear what I’m trying to say (which … Continue reading Responding playfully to being told to “Shut up!”: The ventriloquist game!
I know it’s not a luxury that everyone has - a partner who comes home at the end of the day and can share the load (although sometimes after a long day of work my hubby is more tired than me!). But last night I made the most of it and went for “option z … Continue reading More power reversal play: The “force push”
In my last post, I explored the phenomenon where kids become more active and silly, usually around an hour or so before bedtime! I talked about how, at this time of day, our children most likely have needs for connection with us, to offload stress/tension from the day, for physical activity and reassurance that we … Continue reading What to do when you don’t feel like playing
There seems to be a phenomenon where kids get ramped up in the evening, just when it’s time to start “winding down” and getting ready for bed. They might get super active, extra loud and silly, much to our dismay! They want to run around, they want jump, they want to play! They might do … Continue reading How play can help kids to feel calm, connected, reassured and ready for sleep!
Can you sometimes see your child's aggression coming, but just don’t really know how to respond to stop it? Deep breathing might help to calm a child, but it can be pretty hard to encourage them to do it once a fight-or-flight response has been triggered! And resorting to yelling, threatening "consequences", or “time out” … Continue reading Responding playfully to kids’ aggressive urges with faux fighting
It's not uncommon for little ones to have a fear of pooing in the potty (or toilet). And often it leaves parents feeling really unsure of what to do; not wanting to pressure their child for fear of making things worse, but also not really knowing how to encourage their child without resorting to rewards … Continue reading Play to pave the way for pooing in the potty!
Here With You Parenting 