Yesterday was World Mental Health Day, a great reminder of the importance of supporting all those who are affected by depression, anxiety, stress and other mental health issues. It set me thinking about the need to talk about wellbeing and wondering why it is still a faintly awkward thing to do. The prevention of mental [...]
Will your children have a happy summer doing things they love and avoiding boredom? The summer holidays are upon us, hooray for that. Children need a rest and time to unwind. Six weeks or more is a luxury which is eagerly awaited but doesn’t always go smoothly. Whether the holidays have started already or you are waiting [...]
In my positive child psychology practice I see children who are facing all sorts of challenges that make them sad, worried or insecure. This may be new because of some unforeseen event or may have been going on for sometime with little impact from what has been tried to date. Their families want things to [...]
The debate about parenting style is rarely out of the news. We have books about cultural differences: is the French emphasis on manners superior to the Chinese pursuit of achievement or the American pre-occupation with instilling self esteem. We are endlessly fascinated by what others do and books about parenting style provide the chance to [...]
Sometimes we feel stuck with a problem and can’t work out what to do. It is easy to tell yourself there is no way forward. This is your pessimistic inner critic talking. We all have one. This activity is designed to get past your inner critic and access your creative and optimistic self. It [...]
Is self-control important or is it a rather out-moded, almost Victorian concept, which has no place in the modern world? On the one hand it invites images of cold baths and self denial while in contrast we are reminded of the planning and dedication that goes into training to be an Olympic class athlete or [...]
Happiness is a word we use easily and often to describe feeling good. Happiness is about feelings and emotion while the concept of wellbeing is a wider and includes our thoughts, relationships and our personal circumstances. Wellbeing is an important idea but it somehow doesn’t trip of the tongue in the same way. How is [...]
Do you believe in Father Christmas? Will he be coming down your chimney while his reindeer hover overhead? Is his sleigh full of toys going to the next house which has good boys and girls tucked up in their beds? Do you have special food which must be left out for him? Can he only [...]
Life today is fast and highly stimulating and in the run up to the festive season we are bombarded by information and are tempted by endless shopping opportunities. Children are exposed to increasingly high expectations of what they should have, what they should do and what they could achieve. Although many adults thrive on this adrenaline-high [...]
Praise attracts your child’s attention and lets them know that what they are doing is a valued skill/achievement. Now they know for sure that this is something you consider worthwhile. For example “well done for reading your book on your own” sends a message that independent reading is not easy and needs to be worked at. [...]