About Anita Cleare
MA AdvDip
Anita Cleare is a parenting speaker, writer and coach and co-founder of the Positive Parenting Project.
Thinking Parenting Blog
Connecting with a teen who wants nothing to do with you
Connecting with a teen in withdrawal mode is not easy. Relationships thrive on communication, goodwill, and spending time together – all of which can be in short supply between teens and their...
Books to inspire children to be adventurous
When I was seven, my favourite pastime was planning adventures with the kids who lived in my lane. We would put together Adventure Kits (these usually involved string and snacks!) and head off into...
Why risky play is important
Risky play is important for the development of children’s knowledge, skills, self-esteem, resilience and attitude to learning. It is a vital ingredient for growing healthy and happy children....
Helping teens cope with school stress and grade anxiety
As a parent, it is easy to make assumptions about the impacts of school stress on teens – but education has changed a lot since we were teenagers. I asked 15-year-old Lydia Bach from This...
Teaching your child to poo on a potty
Guest post by Dr Kate McGarry Helping your child transition from nappies to using the potty can be one of the trickiest parts of toilet training. While urination tends to come more easily, mastering...
School Stress: are you pushing too hard?
There is growing evidence that children and young people in the UK are experiencing a mental health crisis. School stress is one of the top reasons children reach out to the counselling service...
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How to talk to teens about difficult topics
Does your teen get emotional or defensive when you try to talk to them? Do your conversations frequently end in conflict? Or do they just not listen? Here are some simple tips for keeping conversations with teens on track and for broaching tricky topics.
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How to banish working mum guilt
Do you worry that you should be doing more for your children? That you should be giving them more attention, spending more time with them, helping them more with their homework, being around more to pick them up – or that you are somehow failing to be the best mum you really want to be? This free video will help you understand where those guilt thoughts are coming from and how you can turn them around and manage parenting challenges positively.
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Using ‘Story Time’ to understand your child better
Children don’t always open up when asked direct questions. Here is a demonstration of a neat idea for finding out what your child is thinking and feeling by using books and story time.
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Self-soothe strategies for overwhelmed children
When children are anxious or overwhelmed by big emotions, self soothe strategies can help them to calm down and avoid a meltdown. This free video explains how to teach self soothe strategies to your child and offers a variety of self soothe ideas for you to try out.
[ages 3-11yrs]
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