Listening Time There’s nothing like raising kids to bring tension into a family. Right from pregnancy it can seem like every decision you make comes under scrutiny, and then feeding, sleeping, schooling, behavior and
My kids were with their grandparents and I was spending time with my husband. We were relaxed and talking and everything felt perfect until he mentioned the upcoming marriage of someone that is close to
By Lauren Stearns Last year when my son entered 7th grade it seemed like EVERYTHING changed. The connection that I had worked so hard to build with him using Hand in Hand tools felt broken.
Two good friends and mothers we’ll call Emma and Carol had been living 2500 miles on opposite coasts for several years now. Carol finds her middle child, Cammy, deeply challenging. During Carol’s last two months of
“Play with me?” That one question is asked at least 100 times a day in most houses, by kids to their parents. Time and time again we hear that play improves connections. Greys Anatomy-creator (and former
Most of us are taught to hush children when they cry, but parents using Hand in Hand’s approach learn how valuable crying can be for a child’s emotional health. When crying is supported with a
“I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival. – Audre Lorde When parents learn about Hand in Hand’s five Listening
Handling “I hate you!” Almost every parent was once a child who was shouted at by grownups under stress. Almost all of us were called names and told we were bad at one time or another.
A good friend of mine is following my work with Hand in Hand with great admiration, so one day I asked her if she’d be interested in doing a Listening Partnership. She said yes, but reluctantly,
By Sarah Charlton We had just returned from a big family wedding in another part of the country and even though it had been a really good trip, we hadn’t had a lot of
What is Hand in Hand Parenting?: Day 6 You’ve seen your children release their feelings of hurt and tension. They’re naturals! The minute something challenging happens, they dive right in to expel the tension. With a
By Andrea McCracken I had been parenting my daughter for 5 years and stay listening with her for 3 years before I realized the importance of being listened to myself. During this time, I noticed
“She’s viciously swearing, venomously shouting horrible things” I explain to my Listening Partner. I am relating the story of my morning; a repetitive recurring interaction between me and my 6 year old daughter. I
It was Friday, the last working day in a long week and frustrating things just kept happening. Some were to do with my family – like my son refusing to do his homework and
If you could have a break from parenting, what would it look like? “I imagined myself taking this long, unhurried walk by myself. I made up the scene as it came into my mind: How I would find this one, perfect quiet spot, and just sit there, noticing everything around me.”
A guest post by Skye Munro of Nurturing Connections Recently I had the privilege of sharing my passion for connected parenting with over 200 Early Childhood professionals. But right until they entered the
How do you feel when your children say, “Play with me!” Are you filled with excitement and joy, and rush over, saying, “Yes, of course!” If this is the case every time, then you don’t need to read this post. ?
When we were young there was little understanding of the importance of listening to children with warmth and patience, so our parents couldn’t give us a model of how to do this. Our unheard feelings from our own childhood get triggered in challenging moments with our children.