Things we’re doing to give our children a bit more autonomy

For context, my husband and I have 3 children. Our two sons, 12 and 15 years old, and our daughter who is 5 years old. In this post I’ll explain some of the things we’ve decided to do to allow them to become a bit more autonomous, as we slowly detach ourselves from the tight grip of “micro-parenting”, as I like to call it. You know, that tendency to always be on your kids’ backs, checking everything they do, monitoring every move… We found that micro-parenting was having less of an impact as our kids started to grow, so our approach to raising them really changed over the last year or so in order to accommodate their need for independence and autonomy.

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AD – Turning bath time into a playful adventure with Matey!

I remember that day like it was yesterday. My daughter Maelys looked at me with big bright eyes and a huge smile. She held the beautiful black doll I had just bought for her, touched her curls and beamed. It was such a precious moment, and one that repeated itself over and over again, as I continued to introduce more objects, books and even TV shows that featured characters that looked just like her.

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Five things I’m learning from my children

One humbling aspect of parenting is realising you can learn just as much from your kids as they can learn from you. Whether it’s small reminders or entire life lessons, children really have a way of teaching you important things, and usually at very timely moments in your life.

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How much do you judge other parents?

My son is not yet potty trained.” She said.

“Oh. Okay!” I replied, surprised.

She then sighed and went on a rant about how difficult it is with boys.

“They’re a bit slow compared to girls, when it comes to these things.” She said.

I smiled and didn’t say anything. That had not been my experience, but I understood that she had obviously been struggling with potty training. I wasn’t about to confront her gender stereotyping (perhaps I should have, gently?). Clearly she just wanted someone to talk to.

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AD | Coping with the demands of home learning – in partnership with Joy Learning

A few days after the very first lockdown was announced at the beginning of this pandemic, I looked at my husband and said “Academically speaking, this year is pretty much void, right?” He just sighed. We both had a feeling that we’d just have to erase this year from our children’s academic journey and start over next year! Being a teacher, he knows all too well the struggle to keep children’s interest in learning alive. He knows how hard it is to stimulate their young minds to keep learning at a time like this.

This past year, every time schools closed, he almost singlehandedly took care of our children’s education, home schooling them to the best possible standard and supervising them while they took their online classes. And all this, on top of having to teach from home himself. We have a routine, but let’s be honest – being at home with all the distractions just simply isn’t the same.

In times like these, that feeling of dread for your children’s future is normal. But you don’t have to do it alone, you don’t have to struggle. If you’re a parent who is finding it hard to give your children the additional academic support they need in their school journey, or if you’re simply looking for an affordable tutoring service of great quality, I’d like to tell you about Joy Learning (Click here to visit the website).

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Encouraging honest parent-child dialogue: 5 questions to ask your children

I value the beauty of communication and dialogue with my children. The questions I’m about to suggest came to me completely randomly as I sat down with my sons for our daily ‘chit-chat’ – a mother-and-son moment we have every single evening, where we talk about their day and anything else that’s been on their mind: from “Mum, how are trains made?” to “Mum, I have this spot on my chin…” That evening, I decided to have a bit more of a structured approach to our chit-chat, and introduced a set of questions. I didn’t think they’d be so useful in making the conversation flow, and I’m surprised at how much the boys enjoyed answering them! N.B.: These questions are specifically aimed at pre-teen/teenagers. However, parents of younger children (and dads!) feel free to tailor as necessary.

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AD│ A caring gift for little hands – Childs Farm Hand care tin

If there’s one thing this year has taught me, it’s that we can never be “too hygienic”. Growing up, good hand hygiene was something my mother used to insist on all the time, and I’m glad she raised us that way. Today I find myself using a similar approach when it comes to my own children – teaching them to not only wash their hands regularly, but also keep them soft, nourished and moisturised especially in colder weather.

With the festive season fast approaching, the Childs Farm Hand care tin makes an amazing Christmas gift and is also the perfect little tool (this year especially!) to encourage the little ones to be intentional about their hand washing routine.

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5 Ways to stay calm in stressful situations at home

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This is one of those posts where I must begin with a disclaimer. I’m no psychologist or relationship expert, but for quite some time now I’ve been on a journey to be a lot more zen, calm and composed than ever. And these are the things that are working for me right now. ⁣

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Motherhood behind closed doors – Fear, isolation, entrapment and guilt

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“There’s no “opt out” button. We’re responsible for three small human beings til they reach the age where they can start making life decisions for themselves, pay their own bills, have kids of their own… And even beyond that, I’ll still feel a sense of responsibility towards them. We can’t just switch this parenting thing off whenever we feel like it; it doesn’t just go away whenever you need a break; we have to deal with it, even on our worst days… and the journey has only just begun. Can you believe it?”

These are the types of words that come out of my mouth during conversations with my husband whenever the reality of our lives just hits me.

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10 Tips to keep your kids off their video games this summer

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I’ve seen a lot of posts on how to keep the kids entertained this summer but most are aimed at pre-schoolers. We have pre-teens who are totally addicted to their video games and who constantly need to be encouraged to do other things around the house or in the garden. They love watching gamers on Youtube and can’t wait to try out what they’ve ‘learned’… and before you know it, you have kids who become increasingly disconnected with ‘everyday family life’ and totally uninterested in anything that doesn’t involve some sort of technology.

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