“IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER” I would have talked less and listened more. I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the “good” living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted […]
Did you know that 95% of the people who set New Year’s resolutions never follow through? The reason is that most people don’t understand the process of how to produce lasting results- and they never take the first steps. They start full of good intentions but through their own negative voices in their heads they […]
What is EFT? Emotional Freedom Technique is the new therapy for the 21st century as it is a very safe way to get rid of anxiety, stress, and feelings of guilt and overwhelm that lots of parents suffer from. It is based on tapping different Chinese meridian lines with your fingers – and you’ve probably […]
The stranger and the ginger nut biscuits story……… from my never ending notebook and my everlasting pencil. Today’s story made me laugh when I first came across it and is an urban legend dating back at least 30 years. At the airport after a tiring business trip a lady’s return flight was delayed. She went […]
I took my Auntie Betty out on Tuesday as she had a stroke last November and doesn’t go very far these days. We went for a stroll in Dulwich Park and had lunch in the Pavilion Café. It was special. I used to play with my cousins on Sunday afternoons in Dulwich Park with my […]
Christmas is a catalyst. I often find that I get many clients coming to see me after Christmas about how to separate after spending more time together at Christmas. Christmas acts as a catalyst for change and the New Year offers a new beginning for many. My article Handling Divorce Positively taken from my “Raising […]
Dear Sue I separated from my partner at the beginning of this year. We were together for 10 years and have two children aged 8 and 6. My real problem is the fact that my partner and I were originally family friends and our families are really close. We normally get together over Christmas […]
I was sitting in Costa Coffee the other day in Bluewater and I heard a group of women moaning about how stressful Christmas is with all the present buying, food shopping, wrapping and writing all the Christmas cards. And it got me pondering …… Why do some women take the role of martyr in their lives? […]
I was delighted to have been interviewed about Co-Parenting over Christmas – often a tricky and stressful time for The Divorce Magazine. We focused on helping children of divorced parents’ during their first christmas and their life after divorce co -parenting. Click here to read and watch the video.
This year I’ve made a lovely new friend in Georgina Durrant ( listen to our fabulous interview on my parenting podcast )who writes a wonderful blog for parents of children with Special Needs called The SEN Resources Blog It’s BURSTING with advice, learning activities and recommended toys, books and resources for children with SEN. Do head over […]
I found an interesting article on Health Central about Teenagers finding the change in routine very stressful around the Christmas holiday time. Here are some tips to help you get through the holiday period when you have a teenager with ADHD: Plan out their holiday homework. Once your child reaches secondary school, teachers often assign […]
I was really delighted to see my tips appear on Cheryl Pasquier’s Mad House Family Review site this weekend. “A friend of mine is having trouble sorting out the arrangements over Christmas Dinner with her ex. I thought that maybe I should encourage her to refocus her priorities, by reminding her of something important. […]
e-readers are hugely popular with parents – but research shows kids prefer printed books, magazines and comics. So is it worth buying them a book? Check out these wonderful books in The Sue Atkins Book Club
I think Christmas shopping and shopping generally with toddlers, is given a bad press! With a little bit of planning and some common sense there are many practical ways to take the stress, frustration and tension out of buying your father- in – law his annual socks and festive tie! Remember that small children […]
It can be really stressful facing your first Christmas alone. Perhaps, you are finding that you have had 20 years of family Christmases with tinsel and turkey, kids unwrapping their pressies in pyjamas with the Carols singing out on the stereo, the log fire blazing and a full house brimming with family. Then it all […]
