It is our role to help our babies, toddlers and young children learn to manage their own emotions. One way that we do this is to model to them how we ourselves cope with their own strong feelings. A toddling baby falls down and bumps their head on the side of the sofa. They look to you to see how they should respond. Baby is thinking, “Does mum look worried? Is she freaking out? No. She is looking at me and holding out her arms. I’ll be ok. But I do need a cuddle. It hurt and

Think back to a time when you messed up. Someone in authority reacted harshly. Remember those feelings and thoughts you had in the moment. How did you feel about yourself, your relationship to that person, your place in the world? Remember, our kids carry those same feelings and thoughts. Let's become more mindful in our approach. Ask yourself these three questions? Based on my response to my child's behaviour, 1. How do they think about themselves? 2. How do they think about

A toddler bites her friend when he won't share the toy she desires. A baby throws his food on the floor. A preschooler draws on her bedroom wall. Depending on your own upbringing, many parents might utilize a time out or sharp tap on the hand followed by a stern "No!" or simply resort to distraction to deal with the behaviour. The last thing we feel like doing is bringing the offending youngster in for a cuddle. Isn't coddling just rewarding the bad behaviour? Babies, toddler

Choosing the right time to give up thumb, finger or dummy sucking is important. Choose a time to break the habit when you and your child are not experiencing excessive stress or change in your lives, such as the arrival of a new sibling, a family move, or starting a new school. Children use sucking to relieve stress, and trying to quit during a stressful time increases the chances of failure. Infants have strong and pre-determined sucking reflexes. Finding an object to suck

Expect your child to interrupt! All young children do this. It is annoying but take heart with time, patience and consistency they will move through this stage! Why young children interrupt. Young children are just starting to figure out that there is more going on in your life than just them. Children truly forget what you tell them. Short-term memory is still developing at this age, contributing to a short attention span. What seems like three hours to your preschoole

This information was reproduced with permission from Professor Trevor S Parry and the Medical Journal of Australia from his article on Assessment of developmental learning and behavioural problems in children and young people. There is a lot of talk about ADHD and other developmental disorders which has triggered my desire to include an article on this topic. It is also a topic close to my heart as I was diagnosed with dyslexia and never officially treated. Not all children

Breath holding can be a terrifying experience especially when a child passes out. A child who has a tendency to hold their breath often does so between the ages of one and three years old. The most common reason for children to hold their breath is attention seeking. When a child becomes extremely angry or frustrated they may hold their breath and turn blue and may even pass out. Because as a parent you will be alarmed and even frightened you will of course give your child

Parents of autumn-winter birthday kids often face a tough choice. Chances are, you are like me and wondering if your child is ready for school come next January. This decision can be an agonising one as we are often given conflicting and inaccurate information. Truth to be told is that you are right to be concerned. Research shows that children who enter school but should have stayed back another year have been to shown to: • do less well in school • develop a dis

Separation anxiety is when a child gets upset when separated from a parent or loved carer. For example, a young child may become distressed when left with a baby sitter, or when put to bed alone. Separation anxiety is normal during early childhood. It reflects the child's attempts to hold on to what is safe in a very scary world, and it will settle down as the child grows older and more confident. Children generally start worrying about being away from carers when they are

Part 2 of Fussy Feeders In the previous article I discussed some of the behavioural reasons behind fussy feeding. This month I would like to take a closer look at those children who are plainly not comfortable while eating or are literally starving themselves. These babies are often labelled ‘Failure to Thrive’ babies. They are babies and toddlers that are not gaining weight they should or are under weight. Having worked amongst many babies and toddlers who either fuss