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How to parent smarter not harder.

photo of a hand held up as if to ward off approach to illustrate article on connecting with a teen who wants nothing to do with you

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...

Montage of jackets of children's books about divorce and separation

Children’s books about divorce and separation (2-7yrs)

Helping children through divorce and separation isn’t easy and there are no pain-free solutions. Being strong and calm and rational at a time when emotions are running away from you can be a real...

Graphic reads "My number one parenting tip: listen don't fix. (That's it.)"

Listen don’t fix

If I could pick just one top parenting tip for parents, it would be “Listen don’t fix.” As adults, we are often very quick to jump in and try to fix children’s problems for them,...

Photo of parenting expert Anita Cleare alongside video title 'How to have good conversations with teens'

How to have good conversations with teens

When your teen is holed up in their bedroom most of the time (or has their eyes fixed on a screen), it’s tempting to rush at a conversation whenever we spot an opportunity. Here’s why...

Photo of parenting expert Anita Cleare holding up a copy of her book How to Get Your Teenager Out of Their Bedroom and smiling at the camera taken from a video on How to boost your teen's self-esteem

How to boost your teen’s self-esteem

Telling a teen not to care what their friends think doesn’t work. If you want your teen to believe in themselves and bounce through the hurt and self-doubt of the teenage years, then criticising...

Photo of mother holding child's hand out walking in the woods to illustrate one of our suggested strategies for how to rush less and connect more with your kids

How to rush less and connect more with your kids

Do you find it hard to slow down and just be with your kids? Is your mind whirling with that unfinished To Do list even as you are trying to play or listen or connect with your kids? Do you leap on...

Photo of young girl with cheeky expression poking out her tongue at the camera

How to respond when children tell lies

Guest post by Victoria Talwar author of The Truth about Lying: Teaching Honesty to Children at Every Age and Stage (contains affiliate links*). “My child was standing before me and I could clearly...

Photo of phone showing picture of teenage girl on its screen to illustrate article answering the question are smartphones harmful to teens?

Are smartphones harmful to teens?

Many parents feel instinctively that phones are somehow not 100% good for our teens. We worry that their constant checking, selfie-posting phone habit might be damaging their physical health, their...

Montage of book covers of our recommended 8 great books about modern family dynamics

8 Great Books About Modern Family Dynamics

I have chosen these 8 books about modern family dynamics because they include, explore and represent diverse aspects of modern family life. And they are all also a good read for anyone who is...

Photo of young girl with arms outstretch about to jump off a step to illustrate article on why realistic expectations are good for children and parents

Realistic expectations are good for children and parents

Having realistic expectations – of yourself and your children – is key to positive parenting. It builds children’s self-esteem, reduces parenting stress and helps you enjoy your...

Photo of woman with hands at her head looking exasperated to illustrate article on when children's emotions trigger parents' emotions

When children’s emotions trigger parents’ emotions

“Becoming a parent brings with it a host of overwhelming feelings, both harrowing and beautiful: the surge of pure love when you watch your child sleeping; the tears of joy when they stand on...

Photo of underside teenage girl's boot stamping towards the camera to illustrate article on how parents feel during the hurtful teenage years

The hurtful teenage years

I call them the hurtful teenage years for a reason. When parents think about kids becoming teens, it’s usually teenage behaviour we worry about most. What will my teenager be like? Will they be...

Photo of a young girl in a green coat with her arms outstretched trying to catch a bubble in a park to illustrate how play helps children's mental health

How play helps children’s mental health

Play helps children’s mental health in a huge variety of ways. Yet, it is seldom the first thing we think about when it comes to supporting children’s mental or emotional wellbeing. This...

Graph mapping warmth (horizontal) against control (vertical) to demonstrate how positive discipline brings together warmth and boundaries. The top left quadrant represents authoritative parenting which is high warmth and high control.

Positive discipline: warmth plus boundaries

When it comes to parenting styles, research consistently shows that children who are parented with a blend of warmth plus boundaries are most likely to experience positive outcomes in all areas of...

Photo of man in red jumper against light blue wall, the man is pumping his fists in celebration, banner across the bottom of the image reads How not to shout at your kids

How not to shout at your kids

As parents, we all know that shouting at our kids isn’t a great idea. None of us embarked on parenting with ‘Shouty Mum/Dad’ as our ideal destination. But somewhere along the way,...

photo of teenager girl staring out of the widow looking bored, to illustrate article on how to motivate an unmotivated teen

How to motivate an unmotivated teen

So, what am I supposed to do? My teen does zilch. They have no motivation, no get up and go. Trying to get them to switch off their devices and do their homework is like pulling teeth every single...

photo of a woman sitting at a laptop looking bored

How to negotiate with your employer to achieve work/life goals

Guest post by Amanda Augustine For many parents, balancing the demands of parenthood and the pressures of the workplace can be an emotionally draining experience. When you’re constantly trying to...

photo of young boy playing with a pink doll's house to illustrate article on why diverse and inclusive toys are important

Why diverse and inclusive toys are important

Albert Einstein famously said that play is the highest form of research. Play is how young children learn about the world and make sense of it. The information children collect through play informs...

montage of book covers showing the best books for teaching children kindness

Best books for teaching children kindness

Books are a fantastic tool for teaching children kindness because they help children see the world through someone else’s eyes. They also provide clear illustrations for younger children on...

The Woorysaurus is one of the best books to help children with anxiety - photo of bookcover

Books to help children with anxiety (2-12yrs)

The best books to help children with anxiety are reassuring and approachable and give children ideas and practical strategies for managing their worries. Children who are worried or anxious...

Photo of book cover of How Are You Feeling Now by Molly Potter

How Are You Feeling Now? Interview with children’s author Molly Potter

Molly Potter is a best-selling children’s author whose books help parents and children talk about feelings and other tricky topics. I’m a huge fan of her books, so I was delighted to have...

Photo of young girl sitting outside holding her face up to the sun streaming through the trees, to illustrate article on family mindfulness activities

12 Family Mindfulness Activities

Daily mindfulness moments are a simple way to reduce stress and anxiety and boost family happiness levels. For parents, mindfulness can help us stop juggling thoughts and step into the present...

Photo of Dalya Wittenberg work-life balance blogger and podcast host

In pursuit of work-life balance

Finding work-life balance can be incredibly challenging as a working parent. There is no one-size-fits-all solution. Balance looks different for different people, and our sense of balance often...

Resetting work/parenting boundaries post-pandemic

The Covid pandemic led to one of the biggest and most sudden changes we have ever seen when it comes to working practices, most especially for people who were traditionally office-based. The biggest...

Young child wearing sunglasses and smiling on a beach with sand falling off their spade in the wind to illustrate article on helping children learn to fail positively

Helping children learn to fail positively

Perfectionism is not helpful for children’s learning. Children with perfectionist tendencies will often avoid challenges due to fear of failure, or they may abandon tasks due to frustration and...

Close up photograph of 7-year-old boy reading a book intently, to illustrate article on How to encourage your child to read books

Encouraging your child to read books: what works?

We all know how important it is to encourage our child to read books. Reading for pleasure is associated with many benefits in later childhood, including higher attainment scores at school, a broader...

Photo of a woman's legs wearing jeans lying on grass to illustrate article urging parents to step away from the emails this summer

Parents, step away from the emails

If you have recently received an Out of Office from me, I hope it made you smile. It probably said something like ‘Gone Surfing’, or ‘Gone Camping’, or ‘Currently dragging a reluctant...

Photo of smiling teenage girl in the mountains to illustrate article on 10 ideas for tempting teens off tech in the school holidays

Top 10 ideas for tempting teens off tech in the school holidays

School holidays can be a nightmare for parents of teenagers. Teens are too old to be parked in childcare but they can’t always be trusted to make great decisions about how they spend their...

Photo of parenting expert Anita Cleare from video on how to avoid arguing about parenting

How to avoid arguing about parenting

Arguing about parenting is a common problem. Partners and co-parents often find that they have different approaches to parenting. Having different strengths can be valuable in a parenting team but...

Photo of young mum staring out of a window to illustrate how it feels when family are constantly judging my parenting

“My family are constantly judging my parenting”

I had a really interesting session with one of my one-to-one clients recently about how to manage perceived ‘judginess’ from wider family about your parenting style and decisions. The...

Photo of mum hugging young boy to illustrate article on how to be a present and connected parent

How to be a present and connected parent after a day at work

Being a present and connected parent after a long day at work isn’t easy. Summoning up the energy to listen and engage whilst simultaneously locating lost Sports Kit, making sure the kids have done...