A friend and I were spending our vacation together. Between us we had five children aged from three to six years old. It was their first time meeting. A few times I had perceived a little
By Andrea McCracken As a parent, it can be difficult to remain objective and detached from the emotional storm cloud that erupts in our children. When my 6-year-old becomes emotional, it’s easy for me to
My three-year-old daughter is used to being listened to and being allowed to voice her opinion. However, this was near unacceptable to my mother. Since my mother often takes care of her (thank you, mum)
My seven-year-old son had been being bullied by his classmates for months. It had started with the boys, but soon some of the girls picked up on it as well. Our life was not good,
My daughter, 13, and I were getting ready for bed this week when things turned playful. It started because she is a master at picking up any irritation in my voice, even when I’m not
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 done a lot of limit setting and Staylistening with my 5-year-old since learning Hand in Hand Parenting’s five tools, and I’ll admit that Staylistening has been a work in progress. Staylistening comes from
If your child has become frightened by the tones, words, or images seen in the media lately, at home, or from peers, he or she will find ways to bring up those fears that may
In most daycare and preschools, parents are encouraged to make drop off brief. A quick kiss or hug and then out the door. But not in Shelley Macy’s classes. She makes efforts to welcome each
Separating at bedtime has been a struggle for our 2-year-old for quite some time and I have done a lot of Staylistening with him on this emotional project of his. But lately, he
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.
My four-year-old son LOVES garbage trucks. He is obsessed with them, and not just the trucks. He loves everything to do with garbage disposal: garbage cans, recycling, compost, trips to the landfill, and the garbage
By Laura Minnigerode When I was a co-teacher in a 2-year-old class at a half-day preschool, one of the oldest children was Ryan. He was very sweet and sensitive. In free play at school Ryan did fine, but he
By Laura Minnigerode Emma was born so early that she identified as a “Micro-Preemie.” That is, she weighed less than 800 grams and was born before 26 weeks. When I first met her, she was about 9
My son is now 16 months old. When he was newborn he was a nightmare. We couldn’t lie him flat for the first 6 months of his life. I couldn’t leave him for a microsecond.
Your son has been acting out all day. First he grabbed his friend’s toy truck at a playdate and refused to play nicely. He threw it across the room when you asked him to
Classes are opening and tryouts are on. But what happens if your child refuses to go? Are you respecting their wishes if you agree, or are you holding them back from opportunity? Here, one mother
What is Hand in Hand Parenting?: Day 4 Understandably, parents often become annoyed by crying and use all kinds of strategies to hush their child up. In my family, the stock threat was, “If you