As a public speaker I often take a few minutes after a presentation to think about how it went. There are the 6 Ps of presentation skills – pace, pitch, power, pronunciation, passion and, perhaps the most powerful of all – pause. This got me pondering today about the way we speak to toddlers. 1. […]
Do you find disciplining your children difficult? The funny thing about discipline is you only really notice it when it’s not there. As a former Deputy Head and teacher for 22 years I’ve seen loads of perfectly well behaved kids -who I’ve been teaching all day -run out into the playground to meet their parents […]
I’ve been recently writing quotes to go alongside my articles that will be published on the Danonino website soon around the topic of “Autonomy” & rule setting. Coincidentally I’ve also been working with a group of Mums discussing how their children think they’re “mean” parents. I’ve heard this from lots of parents from […]
I talk a lot about the Key ‘C’s of Connection, Capability, Counting, Courage and Confidence with my clients. They are a key components in raising ‘iCan’ kids with the positive mindset to embrace life and have a go & to experience life in all its full glory. Every behaviour has a purpose & our job […]
The gift of self discipline Kids who are taught through loving, fair discipline are happier, feel more secure, do better at school, don’t go off the rails so easily with drugs or drink and negotiate and function in the world far more easily. Without rules and parental guidelines kids don’t develop their own inner controls […]
In my book ‘Parenting Made Easy – How To Raise Happy Children’ in Chapter 9 I write about kids who argue back. One simple technique I teach is to change your language when kids challenge you with a … heavy sigh, eyebrows raised, pouting, moaning, groaning, hair tossing or “It’s not fair…” “They’re (sister/brother) not doing […]
Now if your parenting style is like ‘Being A Best Friend’ you believe that children like it if you act as if you are their best friend. 1. You believe that being nice and friendly makes your children like you. 2. You believe that your children are equal to you so you negotiate with them, you […]
The 3 Styles of Managing Your Child’s Behaviour There are 3 broad styles of managing children’s behaviour but what has the most influence on your child is your confidence, style and personality. Your style affects the atmosphere, mood and tone in your home. Your style is a blueprint for what your children copy and learn […]
I think it helps to shift your perspective away from damaging your child’s self esteem to looking at the problem. Here’s a simple way to do that – just say inside your head when you are getting stressed or wound up…. The problem is the problem – not my child. Detach the behaviour from your […]
Successful parents have a wide range of options open to them. Over the years (through often trial and error) they have collected skills, strategies and techniques that they have stored away for possible use. A metaphor I use a lot when I’m giving my Lunch & Learn One Hour Talks is to imagine that you are […]
I’ve been writing about family rules & why they’re important for the Danonino website where I’ve written copiously about raising happy, confident, autonomous children. Here is a wonderful poem I came upon many years ago. I hope you like it. It’s by Erma Bombeck, an author whom I consider to be the original mum blogger although she was writing […]
As my regular readers know I am currently in India giving some parenting talks in Mumbai and Bangalore. I was recently interviewed by Yahoo Lifestyle India about my views on love, discipline and divorce. Here is the article: Sue Atkins is an internationally recognised Parenting Expert, […]
I’m being interviewed on BBC Radio Leeds today about an Ofsted Report that says how chatter, calling out without permission, swinging on chairs, play fighting, throwing paper planes, using mobile phones and quietly humming was “very common” in schools. As regular readers of my blog know – I used to be a Deputy Head and Class […]
