A calm-down corner (or area as it doesn’t have to be in a corner) is a place for angry and upset children to go to engage their minds and release their anger. I used this when my children were little in place of time-out because time-out didn’t work for my sensitive son. Here, I’ll show [...]
When my three boys were two, four and five, we played a game called “Secret Teddy.” Teddy was a small, ragged stuffed bear that “mysteriously appeared” on one son’s pillow each night with a little note describing how he had been especially caring that day. (Trying to be sneaky was always challenging). I only needed [...]
Laura Markham, PhD recently wrote about “radical self care” on her Facebook page. I love the word radical as is applies to taking care of ourselves as parents. I am certainly a radically different parent when I am rested and my buckets are full than when I’m not. A few years ago I discovered something [...]
From the moment your baby bump starts to show, others are likely to provide unsolicited advice or comment on your parenting strategies. The motivation for unsolicited advice is interesting. Some people are genuinely concerned with helping, whereas others might be attempting to steal power from you by asserting a false parenting superiority. The comments I [...]
Young children aged 2 to 6 are nothing like us, but this doesn’t stop us from expecting them to be behave better. Their unique personality is characteristically brazen, obsessive, impulsive, hysterical, aggressive, resistant, compulsive, and unpredictable. Fairness for the preschooler means getting what they want, and getting along is overrated. Sharing is not caring according [...]
One of the most liked comments on my Facebook page was, "Wow. Three-year-olds can be crazy making." It can be very hard to be kind to a child who continually pushes our buttons. I know; I’ve been in the “parenting trenches.” I’ve spent hours trying to calm myself when my youngest son woke me up [...]
For those parents who live in Southwestern Ontario or know people who do, I'd like to share some information about our new school. Here are seven ways our Infinity School (an Acton Academy) program is different from traditional schooling, whether that is through public or private schools: Infinity School students will be taught to think critically. This article [...]
Have you ever felt like saying, “I’ve tried everything and my child still won’t listen!”? There are several factors involved in a child’s willingness to cooperate. What you should know is that a child not doing what she is told is less about “not listening” and more about how able she feels to do what [...]
“That’s enough!” you yell, slamming your mug on the counter with such force hot coffee splashes over the side. Your kids stop in their tracks, staring at you with wide, scared eyes. Ugh! You yelled again. You were trying so hard not to yell anymore. Some days it just seems impossible to keep your cool. Immediately, the [...]
Every parent who has ever endured a toddler meltdown over miscommunication looks forward to the day that toddlers are able to articulate their needs and wants better. You, your partner, and other primary child-givers are going to be teaching your children how to talk. Here are 10 tips to teach your toddler to communicate better, [...]
Andrea Nair is a psychotherapist, parenting educator and international media parenting expert based in London, Ontario, Canada. Her therapy background helps parents to understand at a deeper level what to do when kids drift away, behaviour goes wild, buttons are pushed and old negative self-talk gets too loud.
Her goal is to let parents know they are not alone in their struggles and to provide practical help that makes big positive changes. Parenting can be very hard—and Andrea wants to help.
