The Dance of Intimacy – Keeping The Glow With Your Partner

  This week will be all about Valentine’s Day and can be a time of great romance or great pain. Many people put their children first and of course while this is necessary and honourable is it at the expense of your own relationship? I remember a great friend of my Mum and Dad’s Nuala […]

Keeping the Glow With Your Partner – Take a Snap Shot.

No matter where you are in your relationship, it’s important and healthy to regularly check in on it from time to time to keep it fresh, keep it growing and keep it alive. By asking some simple but thought provoking questions like: Where are you? Where are they? Where is the relationship as a whole? […]

If you really loved me I wouldn’t have to ask !

Keeping the Glow with your Partner. Do you want more attention, more respect, more help with the kids, more hugs, more romance, more surprises, more time together, more intimacy, and more fun? Someone to babysit, iron the shirts, help make the dinner sometimes or hang up the towels in the bathroom? Then ask. “But I […]

Kids and Teenagers With ADHD and the Christmas Holidays. Jingle Bells or Jingle Hell?

    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 […]

More Play Leads To More Learning – Making Christmas Presents Easy

“Play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth.”  ~ American Academy of Paediatrics It’s coming up to Christmas and you’re probably wondering what toys to buy for your kids. I think it’s helpful to remember that more play leads to more learning and that […]

10 Facts Parents Should Know About Dyslexia. A Checklist.

?   Dyslexia is not a disadvantage. Having a good understanding of the type of difficulties caused by dyslexia will help you support, encourage & motivate your dyslexic child without damaging their self-esteem. Did you know that more than 50% of NASA employees are Dyslexic? NASA is able to look past the negative opinions about […]

Starting School ~ The Easy Way!

  From the moment you play peek-a-boo with your baby, you are preparing them for the process of moving away from you and learning about independence. Separation can be a difficult emotion not only for you as a parent but also for your child. As your child matures and gains in confidence, they grow into […]

Who should teach your kids about the birds and the bees?

  Sex education lessons are set to change with children taught about the dangers of pornography, sexting and online grooming in a major shake-up. The move follows months of campaigning from MPs and charity groups who argue the current curriculum is years out of date and does not reflect the dangers faced by young people today […]

Why it’s IMPORTANT to read to your kids.

  I’ve just been interviewed on BBC Hereford and Worcester Radio about why it’s important to read to kids. Of course we all know that reading matters, but just how much it matters and how it can impact our children may be surprising. As a former Deputy Head Teacher & Class Teacher  for over 25 […]

Comics are a Gateway to Creating Life-Long Readers

  When my son Will was little, he loved reading. Then he went through a phase of not reading books but loving comics. According to the latest research commissioned by Readly, the European leader in digital magazine and newspaper subscriptions this was good news! Comics are a gateway into creating life-long readers. Children who read […]

Why it’s not OK to call me ‘love.’ How do we raise daughters that don’t accept that?

    A new piece of research has concluded that ‘Little Girls Start Believing Harmful Gender Stereotypes by Age 6’ Here’s a thought provoking article from Kate Horowitz in ‘Mental Floss’ Psychologists say little girls have about six years before they’re affected by harmful gender stereotypes about their intelligence. The researchers published their findings in […]

How to Give Your Child the Gift of Self Esteem

  The most important gift you can give your child is the gift of self esteem. Self-esteem is how you rate yourself deep down. It is a belief and a confidence in your own ability and value. It’s a gentle knowing that: you like yourself. you think you’re a good human being. you deserve love. […]