Children · Grandparent or carer of a child
Topics that may interest you
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Closest to you
- Should I Make My Child Kiss and Hug Relatives? Respect for Elders and the Child's BodyYour child won't kiss grandma or hug an uncle, and the family is offended. Why forcing affection sends the wrong message, how to keep good manners and respect for elders, and what to say to relatives.
- Does Your Child See You as Safe? Why Children Don't Tell Their ParentsA child can be hit by a relative, bullied or hurt, and never tell you. Three reasons children stay silent, the hair between protecting and overreacting, and what to do the moment they tell.
- Safe and Unsafe Touch: Teaching Your Child to Say No and TellHow to teach a child about safe and unsafe touch without frightening them: the underwear rule, saying no to adults, the difference between surprises and secrets, choosing trusted adults, and practising it in play.
- How to Talk to Your Child About Puberty: Who Says It, When, and What to SayHow and when to talk to your son or daughter about puberty, why mother to daughter and father to son works best, what to do if you're embarrassed or raising them alone, and why your child should hear it from you first.
- Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: A Practical GuideYou thought your parenting years were behind you. Now there are school runs and bedtimes again. A practical guide for grandparents raising grandchildren: the child's feelings, your own, and where to find support.
- Grandparents Breaking Your Rules? The Few That Cannot BendWhen grandparents spoil, undermine or simply do things differently, the fight is rarely about the sweets. How to agree on a few rules that matter, and let the rest be grandma's house.
- The Role of Aunts and Uncles in a Child's LifeThe aunt who listens, the uncle who teaches, the cousins who feel like siblings. How the wider family can support a child and a tired parent, and what to say, and avoid, when relatives help or interfere.
- When Grandparents Have a Favorite GrandchildOne grandchild gets the gifts, the praise and the attention, and another notices. How to raise favouritism with grandparents without a family war, and what to say to the child who feels left out.
- When the Nanny's Rules Are Not Your RulesA nanny, a nursery or a family carer who does things differently. A practical checklist for agreeing the rules that matter, and a calm way to talk about it.
- When a Relative Lives With You: Two Sets of Rules Under One RoofWhen a grandparent, aunt or uncle moves in, the house can suddenly have two sets of rules. Why the tension grows, and how to share a home without losing your place as the parent.
Anger, meltdowns and tantrums
- Siblings Fighting Physically: How to Stop Siblings Hitting Each OtherWhat to do in the moment when siblings hit, what to do afterwards, and the signs that a pattern is no longer ordinary rivalry. A practical guide with safety first.
- Why Does My Child Fight Me on Everything?When a child of 4 to 9 resists every request, the battle may be about having some say, not about the request. What may be underneath, and how to share control without losing it.
- Why Does My Child Melt Down When Screen Time Ends?The tablet goes off and the evening explodes. Five common beliefs about screen-time meltdowns set beside what research suggests, and what may make endings easier.
- My Child Can't Handle Losing a Game: What to SayThe board goes flying, the cards are torn, and your child cries "It's not fair!" What to say, and what to avoid, when a child cannot bear to lose, and how to grow a good loser slowly.
- Why Does My Child Whine Instead of Asking?"Muuum, I'm huuungry." "Whyyy can't I?" The sound that can unravel the calmest parent. Before and after examples of everyday whining moments, and what may help a child find their ordinary voice.
- Why Does My 7-Year-Old Cry Over Every Little Thing?The wrong cup, a broken crayon, a small "no", and the tears come again. Why some children cry easily, what may be behind it, and how a parent can help without dismissing them or giving in.
- My Child Hits Me: What Do I Do?A toddler slaps, a seven-year-old kicks, a teenager pushes. Hitting a parent is never "just a phase" to be ignored. What to do in the moment, what to do after, and when to get help.
- A Tantrum That Lasts an Hour: What It May Be Hiding, and What to DoScreaming for an hour, doors slammed, things broken. Why a long tantrum that keeps coming back is often covering something else, what to do while it lasts, how to find the real reason, and when to talk to a doctor.
- The Child Everyone Blames May Not Be the Real ProblemOne child gets blamed for every fight, every tense evening, every bad day at home. Why a "problem child" or family scapegoat may be showing you something bigger, how labels shape behavior, and the question that changes everything.
- Why Won't My Child Listen Until I Yell? How to Be Firm Without ShoutingHow to set firm boundaries with children without yelling: the difference between control and order, the power of "but", what to overlook and what never to overlook, and consequences that teach the rule instead of fear.
Brothers and sisters
- Sibling Rivalry: When Brothers and Sisters Keep Score"The calm one" and "the wild one": how comparison may turn siblings into rivals, and why fair does not always mean the same.
- Why Do My Kids Fight Over My Attention?When siblings fight over who sits next to you or who gets your attention, a seat is rarely just a seat. Why children compete for a parent, and how a named time for each child can calm it.
- Only Child Myths: What Research Really Says"Only children are spoiled." "They're lonely." "They can't share." Common myths about only children set beside decades of research, and what actually matters for a child growing up without siblings.
- Why Does My Child Boss Other Kids Around?"No, you be the baby. I'm the teacher. Do it my way!" A practical guide for parents of a bossy child: what may be underneath it, and how to turn bossiness into real leadership.
- Raising Twins and Close-in-Age Siblings as IndividualsMatching clothes, shared birthdays, "the twins". Common myths about twins and siblings close in age, set beside what helps each child grow into their own person.
- "It's Not Fair!" Treating Siblings Differently Without Hurting ThemWhy does she get to stay up later? Why did he get more? How to treat brothers and sisters fairly when they need different things, why equal is not the same as fair, and the hidden "responsible child" nobody asks about.
Limits: screens, money and the truth
- Why Does My Child Lie About Small Things?"I didn't eat it." "I already brushed my teeth." Common beliefs about children's small lies set beside what research suggests, and how to make the truth easier to tell.
- Pocket Money by Age: Teaching Kids Wants and NeedsPocket money by age, and the signs that giving has gone too far. How to teach children the value of money and the difference between wants and needs, whether the family budget is tight or comfortable.
- Punishment or Consequence? What Actually Works With ChildrenPunishment vs consequence: what is the difference, which works, and why hitting never belongs in either. A firm, simple rule: the consequence follows the broken agreement, not the child's mood or yours.
- "I Don't Care!" When Your Child Shrugs Off Every ConsequenceYou take the phone, cancel the outing, and your child says "I don't care." What that sentence usually means, why you shouldn't escalate, and the one thing to do instead.
- How to Discipline a Strong-Willed Child Without Breaking Their SpiritA strong-willed child argues everything, won't back down, and wears you out. Why that will is worth protecting, where to hold firm and where to let them win, and how to give them responsibility instead of a battle.
- What Age Should a Child Get a Phone?There is no official age, but there is a better question: does your child understand what a phone is for? My view on the age, the talk to have before you hand it over, and five signs your child is ready.
- Is My Child Addicted to the Phone? The Signs, and How to Break It Without a WarOn the phone all the time, doesn't answer when you call, talks and acts like the videos. The signs a child's phone use has gone too far, why it usually starts with us, and a three-level way to break it.
- My Child Talks Back: How to Deal With a Disrespectful Child Without Losing ItA child who answers back, rolls their eyes or shouts at you. What to say in the moment, the consequences that work, where the rudeness usually comes from, how to spot a child who is playing you, and why firmness never needs a hand.
- My Child Is Stealing: Why Children Take Things, and What to Do the First TimeMoney missing from your bag, a friend's toy in your child's pocket. Why children steal (copying, showing off, testing), how to meet it without punishment or labels, the one value to teach, and when to get help.
- How to Protect Your Child From Pornography Online: Settings and the Early TalkA practical checklist to protect children from pornography online: home Wi-Fi filters, phone and tablet settings, safe search, gaming and app controls, where devices live at night, and the early talk that works better than any filter.
- Roblox, Discord and Chat in Games: What Parents Need to CheckIs Roblox safe? Is Discord safe for kids? The real risk in games and chat apps is strangers who message children. What to check in the settings, the family rules that work, and the signs to watch for.
Bedtime, mornings and school
- Why Won't My Child Go to Bed?One more drink, one more story, one more question. Why bedtime may become a nightly battle for children aged 4 to 9, and how a firm, warm routine can make the evening land more gently.
- Starting a New School: Helping Your Child Settle InNew faces, new rules, new building. A one-week experiment for parents helping a child or teenager through the first weeks at a new school, with small daily steps you can try at home.
- Morning Routine for Kids: Ending the School-Morning BattlesShoes missing, breakfast half eaten, everyone shouting by 8:15. A checklist for calmer school mornings: what to prepare the night before, how to set up the morning, and how to stop being the only alarm clock in the house.
- My Child Doesn't Want to Go to School: The First Day and the SecondOne morning your child says "I'm not going." What to do on the first day, why the second day is the one that matters, and how to find out what is really going on.
- Excuse or Real Problem? What's Behind School RefusalHow to tell whether a child who won't go to school is making an excuse or hiding a real problem: ten questions to check, the signs on the body, and what to do in each case.
- School Is Your Job: How to Talk to a Child About Why School MattersWhen there is no real problem at school, a child still needs to hear why going matters. Not a lecture: a plain talk about work, people and the person they are becoming.
- "Have You Studied Yet?" Count How Many Times You AskBefore you change your child's homework habits, count your own. A seven-day honest inventory for parents, four questions to ask yourself, and the two numbers that change homework at home.
- The 21-Day Study Reset: Three Weeks to Hand Homework BackA three-week plan to end the homework battle: one week to restart the routine, one week to let it meet real life, and one week to hand it back to your child, while you step back.
- Pride, Responsibility, Challenge or Belonging: What Moves Your Child?Some children work for praise, some for responsibility, some for a challenge, some for company. Four lenses to notice which way of speaking opens a conversation with your child, and which one shuts it.
- Bedwetting: Why Your Child Still Wets the Bed, and What Actually HelpsYour child is 6 or 7 and still wets the bed. Why it happens, why punishment and teasing make it worse, what you can do at home, and why a doctor can help today with treatments that work.
- Does My Child Have ADHD? The Signs, the Diagnosis, and Why Sport Matters So MuchYour child never stops moving, can't sit still, and does things without thinking. How to tell a lively child from ADHD, how diagnosis works, what to tell your child afterwards, medicine, and why sport is the best daily help you can give.
Bullying at school
- My Child Is Being Bullied at School and Won't Tell MeMany bullied children say nothing at home. Why they keep it inside, the signs to watch for, and how to become the person your child tells first.
- How to Talk to the School About BullyingYour child has told you they are being bullied. How to prepare for the school meeting, what to say in the room, why it can help to say it in front of your child, and what to do if nothing changes.
- Teaching Your Child to Stand Up to a Bully"Just walk away" is not always the answer. How to teach a child to answer a bully to their face, with words and a straight back, what to practice at home, and when walking away is still right.
- What If My Child Is the Bully?The school calls, and this time your child is the one hurting others. The first question to ask yourself, the signs, and how to deal with it firmly, without hands.
- When a Teacher Bullies Your ChildSometimes the person humiliating a child at school is the adult in charge. How to tell a strict teacher from a bullying one, why children rarely report it, and what a parent can do.
Grandparents and the wider family
You, the parent
Hard times and big changes
How a home works
Children with extra needs
- Before They Read the Report: Introduce Your Child as a PersonTeachers, therapists and carers often meet an autistic child through a report first. A one-page profile written with your child, so the people around them meet the person before the diagnosis.
- Preparing for a School Meeting About Your Child's SupportHow to get ready for a meeting with school about your child's needs: gather a few clear examples from home and school, ask three questions, and leave with names and dates. You don't need a pile of evidence to speak up.
- Signs of Autism in an Older Child: What to Do When It Shows Up at 8, 10 or 12Your older child struggles to make friends, stays alone behind a closed door, or seems afraid of people. The official signs of autism in older children, why it is often noticed late, what to do first, and how to help him into the world.
Body safety and the internet
- How to Talk to a Young Child About Their Body: Real Words, Private Parts and No ShameHow to talk to a child aged 2 to 7 about their body: why to use the real names, how to explain which parts are private, what to say at bath time, and how to do it calmly in any culture or family.
- "Where Do Babies Come From?" Awkward Questions From Children, Answered by AgeYour child asks where babies come from, or another awkward question about bodies, at the worst moment. What to say at 3, at 6, at 9 and at 12, the three mistakes parents make, and how to answer without lying or saying too much.
- My Child Has Seen Pornography: Signs, and What to Do in the First HourSigns that a young child may have seen pornography, why it often happens by accident, and what to say and do in the first hour, without shouting, shaming or banning every screen in the house.
- Warning Signs a Child Is Being Harmed: What to Notice, and What to Do NextSigns that a child may be being abused or harmed, in their body, behavior and mood, why one sign alone proves nothing, how to ask gently, and who to call if you're worried.
- If a Child Tells You They Were Abused: What to Say, What Not to Say, and Who to CallYour child, or another child, tells you someone hurt or touched them. What to say in that moment, what not to do, how to write down what they said, and who to call next, wherever you live.