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, [...]
I am thrilled this day has come! When my children were young, I knew what kind of education I wanted for them based on the variety of amazing schools I've had the opportunity to work in as a teacher and counsellor, speak in as a presenter, and also what I've been learning about education in [...]
I knew last night’s bedtime was going to be tricky when I spotted my youngest son jumping back and forth across the room from his bed to his brother’s. I was right: it took him quite a long time to settle down. I don’t blame him, though; it is pretty hard to get to sleep [...]
Our family stumbled across Hershey, PA quite by accident. I was scheduled to present at a conference in Washington, DC so my husband and I began looking for fun places to visit along the way. We like taking road trips so we looked at what was en route between Southern Ontario and Washington. We seriously [...]
Before having children, I didn’t realize that it was possible to cut toast the “wrong” way, or “break” the banana, prematurely stir the yogurt, or use the incorrect colour of plate. But parents of toddlers know that this is a THING—actually, quite a stressful thing. I remember the last time I mistakenly put butter on [...]
When children do the things they naturally do, like push limits, ignore instructions, explore beyond their ability, or act inappropriately, it is our job as parents to redirect them to the behaviour that is acceptable. While disciplining children, it is important for parents, teachers, and coaches to understand that how they do this redirection or [...]
We all have parenting moments we regret. The other day I was hard on my son and felt very badly about my behaviour. Even though we may have the tools to do so, calming down when our kids are melting down, sometimes for the most ridiculous reasons, can feel impossible to do. It is important to [...]
A study published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, suggests that mothers have a higher chance of experiencing depressive symptoms four years after giving birth than in the first twelve months after their child is born. I’m not surprised. I certainly found myself collapsing into tears considerably more when my children [...]
It can be incredibly hard to stay calm when our own children hit us. Both our instinctual physical defense system and intense emotions can get triggered in a flash! I remember the period when one of my children hit me almost every day; I became scared of him, trying to steer clear of where he [...]
When couples share their exciting news about having a baby, part of me cheers for them, and part of me sends them a quiet wish. This wish is to hang in there, because life after a baby is incredibly different than before. I see articles about how to increase your connection when babies arrive, or [...]
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.
