Saying No to our kids – without the arguments, tears and tantrums

How often do we respond to a childs request by saying ‘no’ only to be worn down by negotiations, arguments, tantrums, whining and over-explaining?   Saying “no” translates instead to, “I’ll begin by saying no, but depending on my mood, where we are, who is watching, our energy level and overall stamina…then keep trying and I may very well give in”

We all love to see our children happy. Nothing warms our hearts more than hearing the squeals of delight as our little cherub unwraps the paper to reveal a much sought after new toy. I for one, will never forget the look on my sons face upon receiving a surfboard last Christmas when he had no idea it was coming.   We love to give our children what we can, and there is no shame in that, as long as it is balanced with gratitude and the notion that, in the words of Mick Jagger, “you can’t always get what you want”.  Because what we dont like to see, is children who whine for just one more,  [Read more...]

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The grateful child – Can we teach our kids the art of gratitude?

Probably one of the more difficult lessons to teach our children is the art of gratitude. Can we in fact teach them to sit back, take stock of all they have and be grateful?  Can it come only from having little and gaining more, or can we in fact be grateful even when we have always been blessed with so much?

We ply our children with every new toy, gadget and experience, leave them wanting for very little, then wonder why they have little real empathy for those who have less. Is it any wonder that constant exposure to adults and role models who are always wanting or needing that little bit extra , that our children find it difficult to differentiate between material wealth and inner contentment? [Read more...]

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It’s the good times not just the bad that help make us resilient

When we lost our daughter and the boys lost their sister, months later I was reminded how much “stronger” the boys would be, as they had already gone through so much. lt is true that they certainly have a different empathy toward grief and that the experience has more than likely changed them in certain ways. This was evident when asked recently whether they wanted their new sibling to be a brother or sister.  All 3 of them (the ones that could talk properly) answered that they just hoped for a healthy baby that lived. This of course is nothing new for adults, but probably not the response of most 7, 9 and 10 year olds. [Read more...]

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What are you doing for your kids that they could be doing for themselves?

What are you doing for your kids that they could be doing for themselves? This is a question I have been asking myself with a lot more regularity lately. Mainly because I am a little more tired than usual and suffering a few bouts of ‘can’t be bothered’ syndrome. (oh and I’m just coming out the other side of the first trimester of another pregnancy)! To put a positive spin on ordering my kids around a lot more, I figured that there were probably a lot of tasks I was performing that my kids were perfectly capable of undertaking themselves, and thus I was denying them the right to a pathway of greater freedom and independence. Happy to sell it any way I can! [Read more...]

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Winning or Losing – Are we Failing Our Kids?

Are we failing our children by denying them the right to win….. and more importantly to lose? Every weekend during football season my sons and I go to an AFL game to watch our beloved football team. They have seen my tears of elation at a Grand Final win and they have heard my moans of despair when things don’t go to plan. They have also seen that despite these wins and losses and the emotion they provoke ….life pretty much goes on the same. [Read more...]

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