‘I hate my new mirror that makes me look fat. But I’ve realised my other mirror that makes me look skinny also isn’t helpful.’ Val Mullally discusses what this has to do with our children’s behaviour
‘You’ve just had a melt-down!’ In this article my colleague Patricia Martin Ph.D. discusses strategies for recentering yourself after you’ve disintegrated into a screaming match with your tantruming child.
My daughter has never failed at anything. She’s extremely bright; everything seems easy to her. I worry about what will happen when she takes more challenging classes. How will she handle it if she finds something that is not so easy for her?
Pay attention to how your child explains his successes and failures. She may need your guidance in modifying that view.
Parenting Tip: Encourage your child’s efforts rather than just the finished product. Why this matters.
Learning how to deal with mistakes and setbacks is extremely worthwhile throughout life. There has been an overemphasis on immediate achievement, to the exclusion of the value of effort and hard work. When children experience frustration over their attempts at a new skill, the aware parent can use this as an opportunity to persevere.
When Emotions Get Heated
‘Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.’ (Albert Einstein)
We may be stuck in repeating unhelpful patterns of behaviour in our Parenting. Here’s how to make a significant shift when emotions get heated.
“I hate you!” Spat from the mouth of the toddler or teenager, those words can erode the confidence of any parent.
It’s tempting to react. Fight back or disappear into our own shell when so blatantly under attack.
Anita’s song captures all our mothering worries, whether we say them out loud or if they’re the thoughts chasing through our heads. Mothers seem to be programmed to be continually asking questions about the child’s welfare.
We forget these questions have a ‘sell-by’ date.
Parent Contradicts
What effect does it have on children when they receive conflicting messages?
