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What's the difference between punishment and discipline?

I was talking to my husband the other day about my emails – he’s a loyal supporter of my work and is on my mailing list.

He said "That one you wrote about whether you should discipline your child was great" 

"Do you mean the one with the title:

‘Should you ever punish a...

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Why do kids run off and what we can do about it

Have you ever had the experience of being around other kids when you realise that your own are just so badly behaved in comparison?

I was once at the playground with a friend who was visiting from America with her two kids.

It felt like hers were so much better behaved than mine.

She said...

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3 easy ways to connect with your kids

I walked into my teenage daughter’s room yesterday and I was stunned to see how tidy it was.

Now believe me, it hasn’t always been that way and it got me thinking about the parenting long game.

What creates good habits in our kids?

  • Is it nagging at them to tidy up?
  • Threatening to...
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My child just won't listen to me!

Way back in 1999 when I first got help for parenting with Nico, my unruly toddler, the coach asked:  

“Does he know who’s in charge?”

My husband and I laughed

“Er, no, he runs rings around us”.

When I said it was time to switch off the TV, he used to shout...

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Is my child being bullied?

A client messaged me this week asking for some help. My private clients, those on one of my premium packages, get to email me anytime to ask me question.

Here’s the scenario:

Her child came home from nursery and said: "Harry said I’ve got a chicken nose, why did he say that?"

She...

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'Santa I want..' Are your kids all consumed with ‘me, me, me?’

So many parents are feeling uncomfortable at the moment.

Wanting the joy of Christmas for their kids, but also feeling that it has got out of proportion.

All children seem to want to talk about is what they are going to get.

Feels a tad too materialistic, doesn’t it?

It is unrealistic to...

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Why do I feel so guilty at this time of year?

There’s often a rising tension for parents at this time of year.

It is totally normal for kids to start thinking about what presents they want for Christmas (or Hanukkah).

Our kids are surrounded by advertisements showing what they are going to ‘get’ rather than encouraging...

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You do it for me!

One of my sons was applying for a management training scheme this week.

He likes to ask for our help and support, whereas his brother is much more likely to go it alone.

Kids are all so different, aren't they?

I was pretty busy with my own work and he came to me asking me to help with the cover...

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Just go to sleep!

If you find bedtime is a regular battle, it might be helpful to know that so many parents experience the process of getting their children into bed and then keeping them there throughout the night as a regular nightmare.

For many parents, preventing their children from waking up in the night...

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Here's one I made earlier....

In the past I've mentioned that my daughter Scarlett is working as a teaching assistant in her gap year (before starting university).

I love it when she tells me about situations with the children and that she used all the tools and strategies I taught her.

Not only am I so thrilled to know...

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Pressing Pause

Last Wednesday evening I did my final free masterclass of a series of 3 'The 3 Secrets to Managing Tantrums and Challenging Behaviour'. About 10 minutes into the class my powerpoint presentation totally jammed and I couldn't click forward to my next slide.

My husband – aka my tech...

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Why do they save the bad behaviour for us?

Do you love change?

I'm great with change when I am in a good emotional state but if I'm feeling at all wobbly, which often happens, then I start to get anxious and difficult to be around.

Not long after Nico, my eldest, had started in reception*, he came out of school in a really foul mood.
...

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