Is it old-fashioned to insist on respect?
Yesterday at a parenting workshop, two parents were discussing their discomfort around insisting their children treat them with respect. This was an uncomfortable idea for them. It seemed old-fashioned and not quite right somehow. Exploring the theme further, they discovered that both been raised with the idea “Respect has to be earnedâ€. It reminded me […]
Should we say sorry to our children?
I was recently asked what my position on saying sorry to children was. Personally, I say sorry to my children on a regular basis. I do this because like every parent, I make mistakes. I still say and do things I regret and wish to make amends for. Most recently, I did it yesterday at […]
Mummy, am I a crybaby?
This was what my 7 year old son asked me last night just before bedtime. I paused for long enough (was it half a second or was it longer?) to realise that my answer was going to be really significant and that it better cut the mustard. (To tell the truth I’m not totally sure […]
Be careful how you speak in front of them
… every word spoken within the hearing of little children tends toward the formation of character. Let parents bear this ever in mind. Hosea Ballou, US clergyman and writer (1771 – 1852) I used to like telling stories of bath-time battles and school-run woes. I liked hearing them too. It helped me to feel normal. I […]
