parenting

Making Friends, Sober

May 17, 2021 by Victoria Vanstone Leave a Comment

Victoria Vanstone - making friends over coffee

Today, I experienced a ‘Wapple.’ A wapple, according to my 4-year-old daughter, is when you go to the park and play with someone you’ve never met before.

‘I love wapples mum’, she said after I’d coaxed her off the swing with the promise of an ice lolly.

‘Yes, I love wapples too. They’re the best. Now, Orange or lemonade flavour?’

She amazes me sometimes. Not only had she made up the word, but she’d also been confident enough to fulfil its sentiment. She walked straight up to a little boy spinning around on the roundabout and introduced herself. Then she played shops and a game of tag with him and after an hour they were holding hands at the top of the slide.

A Mid-Life Crisis or a Mini-Break?

May 10, 2021 by Victoria Vanstone Leave a Comment

Victoria Vanstone - mid-life crisis or mini-break?

I’m 43. I guess I’m halfway through my life. I’ve done lots. I’ve travelled the world. I’ve had many jobs, many lovers, many rashes… and now I’m settled down with 3 children in a normal house on an ordinary street with a mortgage and a dog.

I am middle-aged. The age where I’m surprised by my own farts and I make a weird grunting noise when I get out of a chair. The age when I should be doing regular exercise and eating clean, instead of scoffing chocolate brownies in the bath. The age where I should know what I want and be content with what I’ve got.

I should be satisfied, be leaping out of bed each morning with enthusiasm, excited as to what another sunny day will bring.

Great Ways SAHMs Can Work During the Pandemic

September 7, 2020 by Sarah Bull Leave a Comment

If you’re a mom, the COVID-19 pandemic has likely affected you in more ways than one. And if you’re a stay-at-home mom whose spouse has lost their job thanks to the current state of the world, then your finances have taken a huge hit. Now, you’re fulfilling the roles of mother, teacher, and provider.

Here are some ideas to help you work during the pandemic while handling your other responsibilities.

Today’s Generation and Their Unseen Strengths

November 27, 2018 by Tyler Clark Leave a Comment

Today's Generation & Their Unseen Strengths

Like other parents, I’ve been concerned about the future of today’s generation. As I specifically work with teens struggling with anxiety, ADHD, delinquency, depression, and other issues, it can be easy to become stressed about my children’s future.

Yet, as I have guided and watched my children grow into their self-identity, I’ve been consistently amazed by strengths which many news pundits discount when discussing today’s younger generations.

Younger Generations Embrace Technological Change

One of the hallmarks of younger generations is their enthusiastic embrace of changing technology. While Gen Xer’s around my age began to experiment with technology in our teen years, I still vividly remember the sound my dial-up modem made, the inability to make phone calls while online, and how intimidating creating an AOL account was for me. This is not the digital world my children have grown up experiencing.

Teaching Your Kids to Fight Against Bullying

October 4, 2018 by Tyler Clark Leave a Comment

October is Bullying Prevention Month and it is the perfect time to teach your children a lesson about dealing with bullies.

The Stop Bullying campaign has some alarming statistics about the problem. According to their survey, 48% of students 6 – 12 have dealt with bullying at some point in their lives. Another 30% admit to being the ones who were doing it to others. Those figures only account for the children who fess up to either; the actual numbers could be much higher.

The Dangers Of Bullying
It isn’t just a matter of someone getting their feelings hurt, or having trouble in social situations. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in young people and there have been cases of children as young as ten taking their lives.

Experts have found that there is a potential connection between long-term bullying and suicide. That shows us just how serious this issue is.

7 Parenting Tips on How to Raise a Smart Child

August 24, 2018 by Holly Clark Leave a Comment

Smart child - boy with glasses in thoughtful pose

We all want our kids to grow up happy and healthy, and of course, that is the number one priority. However, number two for many parents is that they will be smart, get lots of qualifications, and be successful. In this article, we will outline 7 parenting tips on how to raise a smart child.

1. Give them experiences, not possessions

Many of use worry that we are raising kids that are too materialistic. There is a growing trend of minimalism, and appreciating the value of owning less and doing more. Likewise, studies have shown that there is a direct link between the number of possessions that somebody has and their levels of anxiety. Thus, if you want to foster personal growth in your child, how them the value of experiences (watching the sunset, visiting a museum, eating a dish from another country) rather than material possessions.

The Importance of Creativity in the Learning Process

June 28, 2018 by Francesca Sassii Leave a Comment

There are certain things that help children to develop quicker; the right environment, a healthy diet and plenty of resources, to name just a few. In a space of learning, getting the right balance of everything your child needs to flourish is crucial to a good education.

One such crucial need is creativity. Even in subjects like math and science, which seem to be the furthest thing from anything like art and self-expression, bringing in a creative aspect can really help push your child forward in their development.

Creativity can be merged with education in a number of ways. From using play toys for little children to encourage their development to creating songs that help your child to remember key facts – there’s a wide array of options when it comes to creative learning.

Decoding Texting Slang Your Teen Uses Regularly

December 14, 2017 by Tyler Clark Leave a Comment

I remember a few years ago I was watching a news program and it offered a list to teach parents about decoding texting slang they claimed teens were using. Among some of the more colorful gems were:

– LHS – Let’s have sex

– IGTD – I got the drugs

– PIRDTAS – Parents in rooms don’t talk about stuff

– SMH – Satan makes me happy

These were so ludicrous that I have never forgotten them. Have you ever seen those used anywhere? Can you imagine your teen doing it? Of course not, it was so out of touch that I was sure it must have been a joke (spoiler: it wasn’t).

Slang is a normal part of communication, especially for young people as they assert their independence. Each generation has their own and in the digital era it is a little different than the “boss” and “sick”’s of our own decades.

Let Your Children Take Risks and Learn From Failure

October 23, 2017 by Tyler Clark Leave a Comment

No one learns without failing or making mistakes. Yet, we as parents often forget this universal truth as we raise our children. Instead of pushing them to take risks, experiment and uncover their true potential, we refuse to let them learn from their failures.

However, shielding our children from risks only cripples their ability to learn new skills and prevents them from discovering their innate abilities. It also hinders them from learning how to overcome failure and adapt to change- key attributes required for personal growth.

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