How do we assess if children have learnt a fact or not? Usually it is their ability to recall a matching answer to a question we post them. “What is 10 x 10?” “One hundred.” (Learnt! Tick!) “If ten friends give you ten sweets each, how many sweets do you have?” “Er .. er… er […]
Category archives: skills
Achieving Greatness
Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. We often wish for our children to achieve good things in life. Perhaps they have a skill that could be nurtured. Perhaps it could be art, music or drama. Maybe a child shows an engineering bias or a love for machinery, or craftwork. […]
Teaching children the art of conversation
Have you ever had a closed conversation? You know, the type where you try to demonstrate interest in another person, but end up getting rebuffed by short, simplistic answers, which appear to signal irritation and that you are wasting another person’s time by getting in the way of more important activities they would prefer to […]
Why and how to encourage openness to learning
One of the traits that should be inculcated in children is arguably the importance of keeping an open mind. Why is this so? Well, keeping an open mind means being able to enjoy and welcome new experiences, which result in learning something new. Imagine two different children – one goes out of the house to […]
Different Parenting Styles
We often talk about the kind of child we have, but how often do you hear of someone talking about the kind of parents there are? Here are some common types. The Pause Parent Pause Parents somehow manage to stay calm when their children aren’t getting on, even if they’re hurling abuse at each other. […]
Some reasons for toddler misbehaviour
Limit-pushing behaviour can confound even the most attuned parent or caregiver. Why would our sweet darling throw her toy at us when we’ve just asked her not to, and then add insult to injury by smirking? Is she evil? Does she have a pressing need to practice throwing skills? Maybe she just hates us… Sensitive, […]
Tenets of respectful parenting
Basic Trust Basic trust means believing in your child’s competence and supporting her authenticity. It is believing that whatever your child needs to know, she will learn. In this way she will grow to trust in herself and in you. This will promote her feelings of security and allow her to begin to develop good […]
Respectful parenting
What do I mean by respect? That’s what this book is about. If you treat your child respectfully from birth, he may have a better chance of gaining confidence and developing good judgment. This plants the seeds of lifelong security. He learns how to relate to other people in a healthy way and how to […]
Considerations in counselling young childen
Sometimes children suffer longer than they should in environments that are stressful, abusive and unsafe because the adults around them lack the skills to open the door to effective communication. Engaging effectively with children requires skill and commitment, but it is a skill that can be learned, and these activities will help build your confidence […]
Positive Parenting Tools
So, what tools and ideas will help your child learn all she needs to know? If punishment doesn’t work, what does? Here are some suggestions. Remember, your child’s individual development is critical in these years; remember, too, that nothing works all the time for all children. As your unique child grows and changes, you’ll have […]