Difficult Behaviour, Kids Co-operation, Toddlers
Suzie Brown
How to Get Through the Day Smoothly With a ...

Now I consider myself a total expert in this area! Not just because I’ve done a load of research into this area, but mainly because I have a super-strong-willed daughter who will not just DO something when you ask. No, that would be too simple…. :-)

But I’ve found the way to get her to co-operate with what I need her to do (most of the time!). So here are the tactics that really work.

 

How to Get Through the Day Smoothly With a Strong-Willed Child!
Difficult Behaviour
Suzie Brown
Is your child hitting? Here's what you can do.

What is it with the hitting?! If your child is anything like mine, he or she sometimes gets into an out-of-control hitting frenzy. It could be only occasional, or maybe it’s turned into a real phase.

Actually this is very common – and it’s completely normal behaviour for toddlers and preschool kids (and even school-age kids).

So why is the hitting happening? And what can we do about it.

Is your child hitting? Here's what you can do.
Difficult Behaviour, Setting limits
Suzie Brown
Why I'll never lock my daughter in the laundry

I know I'm sounding controversial with this week's blog title! But I'm not actually being that extreme - locking your child in the laundry is truly one of the discipline recommendations of one of the most widely accepted parenting approaches in Australia and overseas.

While there are many good things about this program, I want to take issue with this recommendation.

Why do they tell parents to lock their kids in the laundry? 

Why I'll never lock my daughter in the laundry
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Want to stop shouting for good? Here's how to heal your anger

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Want to stop shouting for good? Here's how to heal your anger

When anger and shouting at your kids becomes an almost daily event you might start to wonder: Why am I so angry all the time? And how can I stop this?!

In this week’s blog I’ve distilled down the deeper reasons why we parents can feel SO angry with our kids. If you can understand what’s really triggering your anger and reactivity, you’re in a much better position to heal yourself from it.

Essentially we are taking whatever happens with our kids very personally. When we’re upset, the situation has become all about us (in our minds, at least!).

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6 Ways to Calm Your Anger With Your Kids

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6 Ways to Calm Your Anger With Your Kids

In case you think you’re the only one who get angry with their kids… let me confess. A few weeks ago I lost it with my daughter.

So I totally understand why YOU get angry with your kids!

In the midst of your child being a nightmare, it’s natural to get angry!

Well in this two-part blog post I’m going to explain why you’re really getting triggered and angry with your kids. I’m going to help you work out what’s underneath the anger so you can heal it.

And I’ll give you five simple ways to help stop shouting and turning into a monster when your kids are difficult.

5 Ways to Make Travel with Kids Easier (by Plane, Train or Automobile)

5 Ways to Make Travel with Kids Easier (by Plane, Train or Automobile)

Have you thought about taking your kids on a long trip? Or you’ve done it and it was a nightmare?! This article gives you some practical tips on how to make it easier and more fun! 

After a whole year travelling through the New Zealand, USA, Ecuador and the UK I’ve learnt a thing or two about helping kids (and therefore parents) enjoy travel! 

Here are my top tips to enjoy the ride.

How to Get Your Child to Stay in Bed and GO TO SLEEP!

How to Get Your Child to Stay in Bed and GO TO SLEEP!

So many parents tell me that getting their toddlers and preschoolers to stay in bed at night is a real challenge. For many parents, bedtime is a battle and the evenings are so loooong, as their child just keeps getting up or calling out. 

The good news is that there is a LOT you can do to help them want to stay in bed and actually go to sleep! 

Click through to find out WHY your child is resisting bed time - and what you can do to help them get off to sleep sooner.

FREE ACTION PLAN: Want fewer tantrums? Here's how.

FREE ACTION PLAN: Want fewer tantrums? Here's how.

I know what it’s like to feel so embarrassed as my kid is screaming and crying in the supermarket over a box of teddy bear cookies and the whole shop is staring at us!

I know the panic feeling when you’re not sure how to react – should I get strict with her to get her to be quiet? Or if I cuddle her enough will she calm down? What will work?!

Shouldn’t I be able to calm her down and get her to be quiet? I’m her mother! And what did I do wrong that caused her to lose it like this?!

Well it doesn't have to be this hard! And I'd like to help you make your child's meltdowns easier and fewer.

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Here’s Why Spanking Is Not Good For Your Child (And Doesn’t Work Anyway) – According to The Science

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Here’s Why Spanking Is Not Good For Your Child (And Doesn’t Work Anyway) – According to The Science

Did you know that the majority of parents think that spanking is sometimes or often a good idea?  

But scientific research tells us is that spanking is not good for your child’s development – it does hurt them in the short AND long term.

And what’s more, it doesn’t even improve their behaviour!

If you’ve ever had to deal with the in-laws, your parents or even your partner telling you your child needs a “good, hard spanking”, I want to empower you with the facts so you can tell them they are wrong!

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The Hardest Thing About Being a Parent and How to Overcome It

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The Hardest Thing About Being a Parent and How to Overcome It

What’s the hardest thing about being a parent? Do you think I’m going to say “lack of sleep”?! For me that’s definitely been up there as a massive challenge.

But, No! The hardest thing about parenting is the stress of believing that there’s something wrong with our kids and blaming ourselves for it.

When our toddler has a tantrum or our baby won’t sleep at night or our preschooler won’t eat dinner night after night, we can suffer so much about these things.

Want to know why we suffer and what you can do about it?

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How to Keep Your Young Kids Occupied When You Need to Get Stuff Done!

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How to Keep Your Young Kids Occupied When You Need to Get Stuff Done!

One of the THE most common questions I hear from parents with kids under 5 - how do I keep my child occupied so I can get stuff done?! 

Letting the kids watch some TV is how many parents get a moment's peace to cook dinner/make calls/do housework. But what if there are other more creative games that your kids could focus on without needing you?

I've put together a guide for you: How to Keep Kids Occupied So You Can Get Stuff Done! 

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How to Get Through the Day Smoothly With a Strong-Willed Child!

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How to Get Through the Day Smoothly With a Strong-Willed Child!

Now I consider myself a total expert in this area! Not just because I’ve done a load of research into this area, but mainly because I have a super-strong-willed daughter who will not just DO something when you ask. No, that would be too simple…. :-)

But I’ve found the way to get her to co-operate with what I need her to do (most of the time!). So here are the tactics that really work.

 

When my child hits me and says “I hate you” why should I have empathy for them?!

When my child hits me and says “I hate you” why should I have empathy for them?!

When your child screams "I hate you!" and hits you, it's possibly the most difficult time ever to be nice to them! Would you agree?! 

We feel hurt - in our heart and on our bruised leg. At this point, it’s pretty hard to empathise with your child and be calm and kind.

So why should we parents be sympathetic with our kids when they say they hate us and turn into crazed balls of aggression?! And how can we not react to our own upset at being hit or screamed at?

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The powerful forces that get us and our kids addicted to devices (and how to defeat them!)

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The powerful forces that get us and our kids addicted to devices (and how to defeat them!)

Every one of us is susceptible to getting addicted to social media, texting, email or Netflix.

And our kids are even more likely to get addicted, given the chance. They have even less awareness of what they're doing and certainly couldn't care less about the downsides of screen time!

But I want us to stop beating ourselves up about this! It's not the kids' fault and it's not our fault we all tend towards getting addicted.

Want to know why - and what we can do about it?

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My Three Favourite Parenting Books. Have you read these?

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My Three Favourite Parenting Books. Have you read these?

Today I want to share with you my top 3 favourite parenting books!

When I was a new mama and didn’t know what I was doing, these books saved me. From the knowledge in these books, I learnt how to handle my daughter’s big emotions and her stubborn behaviours and calm her down. I found guidance to parent in ways that aligned with my values – like using love and connection rather than fear and punishment to get my child through every day tasks.

Read on for my top 3 books!

Is your child hitting? Here's what you can do.

Is your child hitting? Here's what you can do.

What is it with the hitting?! If your child is anything like mine, he or she sometimes gets into an out-of-control hitting frenzy. It could be only occasional, or maybe it’s turned into a real phase.

Actually this is very common – and it’s completely normal behaviour for toddlers and preschool kids (and even school-age kids).

So why is the hitting happening? And what can we do about it.

Want to know how to end your kids' whining and complaints? Read on!

Want to know how to end your kids' whining and complaints? Read on!

Have you found that your kids seem to choose the worst times to start whining, complaining or refusing to do things - just when you have the last energy to deal with it?!

You have a crazy-busy day with all sorts of crises happening and, after all that, your son won't go to bed - he just keeps getting up. Or you come home worn out from a long day at work and your kids start fighting over who has to get in the bath first.

So what's going on? And what can you do to head this off?!

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How to feel a whole lot better about your kids - and your parenting!

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How to feel a whole lot better about your kids - and your parenting!

Have you ever been embarrassed by your kids' wild behaviour compared to all the other "angels" at playgroup or kinder? Or seen the calm, happy family in the park and wished your family was like that? You could be suffering from Comparisonitis!

Today I’m going to give you 3 reasons why avoiding Comparisonitis will make you much happier, and 3 ways you can cure yourself of it.

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How to calm your strong-willed child with free play (and it’s good for them too!)

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How to calm your strong-willed child with free play (and it’s good for them too!)

Play for kids so important – they need it to feel FREEDOM. They need it to learn and make sense of their world. And, of course, they want to have fun!

But, as I’ve being finding, play is also a key way to help them calm down and feel in charge of their own little lives – which results in better behaviour.

So if you’re struggling with your child constantly refusing to do what you ask and pushing back against all your plans, try giving them more free play – it may just help!

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Why I'll never lock my daughter in the laundry

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Why I'll never lock my daughter in the laundry

I know I'm sounding controversial with this week's blog title! But I'm not actually being that extreme - locking your child in the laundry is truly one of the discipline recommendations of one of the most widely accepted parenting approaches in Australia and overseas.

While there are many good things about this program, I want to take issue with this recommendation.

Why do they tell parents to lock their kids in the laundry? 

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Six Ways to Shift From Battle to Calm With Your Kids (WITH BONUS CHEAT SHEET)

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Six Ways to Shift From Battle to Calm With Your Kids (WITH BONUS CHEAT SHEET)

Are you sick of the battles with your kids every time you want them to do something? Would you like to find a calmer way to get through every day with them?!

Today I have a step-by-step guide for you to shift the dynamic with your kids from conflict and battle, to calm and loving instead.

Plus, I’ve got a downloadable Cheat Sheet “6 ways to Shift from Battle to Calm” full of specific strategies you can use to shift the dynamic when you’re in the heat of the moment trying to get your kids to do something!