Quick note: Some of the links on this page are affiliate links; if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.
Today I am introducing you to an amazing blogger. Sophie’s blog, Starting Today, is definitely worth a read. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy.
You will remember my advertiser’s post, where I said I was impressed by the photography on the website. I mean, these images are kind of blogger goals and where I would like to be with the images I post on my own blogs’ and social media accounts.
I wanted to pick out two of the blog posts which really resonated with me and explain why you should go and read them today!
Single Parents are not Monsters – STARTING TODAY
This post is so honest and powerful! Sophie is honest about making a difficult life decision to benefit herself and her children. And the poem is beautiful.
You HAVE to check it out!
Rose of Thorns some thoughts on anti feminism – STARTING TODAY
Check out this amazing blog post, for a balanced argument about feminism and the way our family units have evolved. You will also find some great, symbolic photos to accompany the post.
For those of you who missed the advertiser’s post. Here are the all-important details you need to connect with Sophie.
Why I loved checking out Sophie’s blog
Please all go take a look at this blog. It is aesthetically pleasing and the images on the website are amazing. To write this post, I had a look around the site and I am impressed with what I found. Sophie covers lifestyle and photography on the blog, and you will find some amazing images scattered throughout her blog posts.
A little bit about Sophie
Sophie is a freelance photographer who looks at life philosophically. She has always been creative, but hid from her creativity for so long, afraid it was a negative aspect of her character. Now she embraces it. Her blog, Starting Today is a place where she shares her thoughts, vision, and passions. She combines photography, poetry, and writing to share her lifestyle and thoughts. Uniquely ambitious, with a zest for life, she loves to encourage others to be themselves, always.
My blog is all about never judging any other parent. We are not perfect. Research has proven human beings react in a certain way, to conflict. It’s an automatic process and sometimes we can’t help it! However, reacting in anger isn’t helpful in the moment.
Our small humans need us to be emotional support. They need us to be more emotionally intelligent, so we can set a great example of how to manage our emotions.
However, I know very well, parenting is the hardest job in the world. If you follow me on TikTok you will see that I try to make light of the situation and use humour to get through the difficult days.
Quick note: Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.
What is gentle parenting?
The goal of gentle parenting is to raise confident, independent and happy children through empathy, respect and understanding, and setting healthy boundaries. This parenting style focuses largely on age-appropriate development.
Some people misunderstand gentle parenting and believe it is too soft as a parenting technique. It’s important to say that as a family, we enforce boundaries. We do also use some rewards, but never punishment. Recently we’ve started adopting natural consequences instead of punishment.
Gentle parenting does not equal a lack of boundaries – quite the opposite. We explain why there are boundaries and use the lessons we’ve taught her, to enforce why we will not tolerate certain behaviour.
The reality of gentle parenting
Gentle parenting isn’t easy. It takes time to become conscious of your reactions – but seeing the results of an emotionally intelligent child is worth it.
If you’re considering implementing gentle parenting, or elements of it like we do. I wanted to let you know about some of the benefits we have experienced since implementing this parenting method.
Let’s dive into the benefits we’ve experienced
We have a very polite child
Since being a baby, we’ve taught my little one to say please and thank you.
At four years old, she now thanks me for simple tasks like getting her cereal in the morning. It’s a genuine, heartfelt thank you. Simply because she’s been shown the reason why we need to be polite.
Everything we teach her is explained in a way she is able to understand. Rather than telling her what to do, it’s a collaborative conversation. You will always hear us asking her whether she understands. And we talk more if she doesn’t.
It’s important for children to understand the consequences of their behaviour and ultimately, be able to eventually regulate emotions by themselves. I won’t be there on her first day of school, or for her first job interview – you have to think about preparing a child for life’s challenges.
Ask yourself – how do I want my children to act and cope in future life situations that could be stressful?
She talks about her feelings & is in tune with other people’s feelings
Because we talk about our emotions and we are honest about the reasons when we do argue (newsflash – all adults argue at some point& sometimes, it’s inevitably in front of children). She, therefore, understands that even adults face situations where something can anger and upset them. That this is okay. And it’s good to talk about how we are feeling when this happens.
When she is experiencing a certain emotion or challenge, we regularly empathise and explain adults also feel this way. Or relate to something we went through as a child.
She regularly comes to me and explains something is wrong. Granted, at four years old, she says things like “I have a sicky tummy” when she’s nervous about the nursery, or feeling tired. But it’s enough for me to know as a parent, that more conversation is needed.
When I was going through my mental breakdown, she was only a baby. But she knew something was wrong and would comfort me.
We now witness this kinder side when she’s in the playground and a baby is upset. She will go over to the parent and child, in a concerned manner, and wait patiently until the baby is okay. It’s really lovely to watch.
Being taught to be kind and caring has helped, but actually being shown that by everyone around her models this behaviour, is a more powerful tool.
She apologises when shes aware of doing something wrong
When a child is in the middle of a meltdown and making no sense, there is no point in having a conversation. It just will not be productive. The same applies to adults. As an adult, you would walk away from a heated conversation. Therefore, it baffles me that some parents believe anger and harsh discipline is appropriate in these situations – surely it’s just unproductive at that moment in time. No progress can be made when a human being is in fight or flight mode.
As parents, we allow the meltdown to pass. We openly tell her, we will talk when she’s calmer and let her walk away. Usually to her bedroom. Within 10 minutes she comes back to us to give a heartfelt apology. And we all talk about why the behaviour wasn’t helpful. Then we make a point of moving on, by saying “Nothing more will be said about it“. We never dwell on it. We move on.
She is independent
As part of our gentle parenting journey, we allow as many choices as we safely can for our toddler.
She is a very independent child by nature. And rather than fight a battle on menial topics, it’s easier to allow as many small choices as we can. The ones we use frequently, involve a choice of dilute juice, and breakfast options and we also allow her to choose her own snacks from the fridge.
When we go out for the day, this extends to more varied options. And when we can, she is allowed to run free and actually be a child.
The amazing thing is, that having allowed choices, she now asks me before she makes any of them. In our case, allowing choices means we get cooperation and communication in return.
Final thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading about our experiences with gentle parenting.
Are you a gentle parent? do you have any tips for us? or do you use other parenting techniques?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Resources – if you want to get started on your gentle parenting journey:
#duet with @Andrew Shaw | Executive Coach #toddlertantrum Wise words! I will never judge any #parent – we are #notperfect & human beings react in a certain way, to conflict. It’s an automatic process & sometimes we can’t help it! However, this isn’t helpful in the moment. Our small humans NEED us to be an #emotional support ❤️ it takes time to become concious of your reactions – but seeing the results of an #emotionallyintelligent child is worth it! #parents#parenting#mums#mumlife#gentleparenting
It is a proven fact, that the early years of our lives shape who we are and how well we cope with challenges in adult life. A traumatic experience in childhood can have lasting effects. Exploring emotions is vital.
All human beings have emotions. They start to develop at an early age, often when toddlers don’t really understand what they are yet. The common one in our house at the moment is missing other people. This involves a daily conversation filled with reassurance, that everyone misses the people they love.
Because toddler emotions are a challenge I currently face. And I know other parents definitely go through this cycle, I wanted to write a post dedicated to the best stories I could find, discussing children’s emotions.
Quick note: Mummy Conquering Anxiety is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people
Let’s look at the research into why we should explore emotions
Understanding children’s emotions are critical to understanding their behaviour. Early years children feel a range of emotions, but often cannot express, interpret or process them like us.
With poor emotional skills, it could be harder for children to learn:
Children grow and develop rapidly in their first five years across the four main areas of development. These areas are motor (physical), communication and language, cognitive, social and emotional.
Social and emotional development means how children start to understand who they are, what they are feeling and what to expect when interacting with others. It is the development of being able to:
Form and sustain positive relationships.
Experience, manage and express emotions.
Explore and engage with the environment.
Positive social and emotional development is important. This development influences a child’s self-confidence, empathy, the ability to develop meaningful and lasting friendships and partnerships, and a sense of importance and value to those around them. Children’s social and emotional development also influences all other areas of development.
Parents and caregivers play the biggest role in social/emotional development because they offer the most consistent relationships for their children. Consistent experiences with family members, teachers and other adults help children learn about relationships and explore emotions in predictable interactions.
To nurture your child’s social and emotional development, it is important that you engage in quality interactions like these on a daily basis, depending on the age of your child:
Be affectionate and nurturing: hold, comfort, talk and sing with your baby, toddler and child.
Help your baby experience joy in “give-and-take” relationships by playing games like “peek-a-boo.”
Provide your toddler with responsive care, letting them practice new skills while still providing hands-on help.
Support your child’s developing skills; help him/her, but don’t do everything for your child, even if it takes longer or is messy.
Teach social and emotional skills, such as taking turns, listening and resolving conflict.
What happens if we don’t manage emotions
One of the most important ways parents or guardians can help is by listening to their children and taking their feelings seriously. They may want a hug, they may want you to help them change something or they may want practical help.
Children and young people’s negative feelings usually pass. However, it’s a good idea to get help if your child is distressed for a long time if their feelings are stopping them from getting on with their lives, if their distress is disrupting family life or if they are repeatedly behaving in ways you wouldn’t expect at their age.
What’s Troubling Tawny? The award-winning second book in the Sumatran Trilogy! Tawny longs to make friends with another rhino, but her shyness holds her back. When she meets a hornbill called Tallulah, she is surprised to learn that she has a lot in common with the beautiful bird.
Poppy the porcupine has always wanted to make a friend, but her defensive nature prevents her. When a young tiger cub stumbles upon her one day in the rainforest, she reacts badly and scares him away.
Determined to change her ways, she sets out to find him, but little does she know that the tiger cub is about to have a problem of his own. In the face of danger, will Poppy find a way to save the day?
The Problem with Poppy is the award-winning debut picture book by British author Emma Sandford. Illustrated by Ukrainian artist Olena Osadcha.
If you could change something about yourself, would you do it?
When Sarah Simpkins is teased about her shadow in the school playground, she finds herself wishing she didn’t have one.
That night she has the chance to make the wish come true. But will losing her shadow really make her happy?
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Let’s Be Friends Again
Purchase the book below:
Let’s Be Friends Again
Kids World Books – Sibling fights, tantrums and subsequent bonding is the theme of this story.
The story is narrated by a boy and he narrates rather than shares his experiences with his sister. The boy and the girl play together. They spend most of their leisure time together. Just like every sibling, they fight often and bond subsequently.
The boy finds some trouble with his sister. The boy sometimes babysits for his sister and she used to trouble him! However, she was a good listener and the boy used to tell some great stories. The boy refused to share his toys with her. Yet, the smart girl used to grab all her brother’s toys. The tantrum began when the girl played with his brother’s pet turtle!
The girl thought that the tank where the pet turtle was kept was too small for the turtle. She carried it to the pond and let it free in the pond.
The boy was as angry as he lost his pet turtle. He showed his anger in many ways. He shouted at her. He threw away his toys and kept on thinking about his turtle. His parents supported his sister. He planned to avenge the loss of his pet and imagined many things. (This is definitely a fun part that everyone would die laughing).
He couldn’t sleep for hours thinking about the pet. He then saw his sister playing in the garden so happy like never before. The boy was surprised as well as very angry seeing her sister happy.
He made a decision! What was that?
Let’s be friends again, the lovable brother and sister, their cute fights, rivalry, etc are narrated beautifully. It happens very commonly in every household.
Children and young people are still developing – they don’t have adult brains or bodies, so need help to understand and manage their emotions.
You’ve probably heard your parents or grandparents say “they’re just attention seeking” or “they’re being difficult”. But there’s usually more to it than this.
We often ask people who contact Children 1st Parentline: “What is your child trying to tell you when they’re acting like that?” Looked at this way, unwanted behaviour is usually about a child needing something – or their way of trying to work out how to manage something.
From a toddler’s need for comfort to a teenager’s conflicting desires for independence and security, testing behaviour is common and is often set off by everyday experiences rather than big events.
Jodi also thinks the book will come just at the right time for children who have had to shut themselves away all year and might be scared to try something new.
She added: “It is a lovely story for 4–7-year-olds about taking yourself out of your comfort zone to try new things.
“Worley’s story is a fab way to engage children with these cute little monsters and learn how to develop their confidence.
“The book also included suggested activities for parent and adult readers.
“I’m also now writing my second story for the series about Worley and Co!
“Having suffered quite a bit as a kid – I lost my dad at 10 and my best friend at 14 – and had a lot of bullying and not nice things going on and I didn’t know how to cope,” she explained.
“That had a massive effect on me as an adult which led to a breakdown. I don’t want kids to go through what I did. The more people I can teach and I can help the better. I don’t think I would have had as big a meltdown if I already had tools to use.
“My characters are all monsters – I have a whole tribe of emotions monsters that teach children about emotions. Worley is the main one and he meets his friends with different emotions.
“The first one was teaching him to be brave and through the monster, you learn you might make a mistake but it will be fine. He realises he doesn’t need to be the best at everything.
“The second book is about anger. The book is written as a rhyme; basically, Worley gets angry and doesn’t know what it is. His friend George, the angry monster, teaches him it is ok to be angry and how to manage it.
“It is done in quite a fun way so children can understand.”
Buster Finds His Beat
Purchase the book below:
Buster Finds His Beat
A feel-good story about an autistic boy, That will capture your imagination and fill you with joy.
Buster uses ear defenders to soften sounds he hears, Find out what happens when he faces his fears…
Pick up your copy, you’ll be in for a treat, As he uses the power of sound to find his own beat.
The first book in a new rhyming picture book series from D.M. Mullan and Kirsteen Harris Jones – welcome to D.M. Mullan’s Curious Tales… Hector van Groat If something is missing, and you’re feeling blue, you could learn from Hector, who feels this way too. This little genius lives in an upside-down boat, and he grunts from his hill like a grumpy old goat. “Hector van Groat needs no one but Hector because he is a genius, a crazy inventor”.
A beautifully illustrated picture book about mental health for young readers. Where Is My Smile? is the story of a little boy who can’t find his smile anywhere. He searches and searches, but it’s nowhere to be found. Where could his smile be? This delightful picture book is perfect as a bedtime story, and to help little children understand that it’s okay to be sad sometimes, but we can always find our way through it.
Final Thoughts
I hope you enjoyed reading my list of books to inspire conversations with your toddler about emotions.
Do you have any of these books? Or will you be purchasing them? What techniques do you use to explore emotions?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
We want to do fun activities, but like a lot of working families in the UK, we have overstretched ourselves this year and are only just managing monthly outgoings. Some big bills will get paid in the next few months and I’m hoping this will ease the pressure. Given my fragile mental state over the last year, I’ve struggled to cope with the money worries.
Therefore, we’ve had to adjust our social life and how much it costs to go out for the day. But we still want to have fun on a budget.
It’s annual leave time coming up and we have a week together as a family. We plan to spend part of the week going on days out and a little rest time in between, to do some activities at home.
I have a list of 10 activities we are doing this week. All of them are within our budget…
Quick note: Mummy Conquering Anxiety is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Some of the links contained on this page are affiliate links and if you go through them to make a purchase, I will earn a commission. I only recommend products I use myself and think would be useful for other people.
Lets get started on the list…
1. Visit the local park
We are lucky, where we live has lots of green space and it’s great for children. We have a cafe in the park, two playgrounds and a huge amount of open space to run around in.
I plan on packing our picnic bag and paying a visit to our local park. Obviously, we need a ball and some other games to keep us entertained. At the moment, we constantly chase our little one around. This really helps. Anything to keep her entertained and create a distraction makes less work for us.
Mummy might also take a bottle of prosecco because all that running around deserves a reward.
Because we all have a week together as a family and toddlers have way too much energy, we will be making use of the car journey. See where we end up. Stop for a coffee if we see a cafe, or just park at the side of the road and take in the view.
2. Go for a walk
If you’re also looking to have fun on a budget, this activity is perfect for you…
Our little one loves to be pushed around, taking in the sights (our Joie pushchair has taken some stick, but it’s still working!). As we walk, she points at the birds and flowers. We have a sing-a-long most mornings on the way to nursery. If she sees a bus, we have to sing Wheels on the Bus and do the actions.
This week we will be going out for a walk. Maybe we will just set off in one direction and see where it takes us (the hubby & I have a secret love of checking out houses with for sale signs and looking at where we want to live next!). I must have a browse on Rightmove beforehand and check out what is available in the area, hehe!
3. Window shop
We have an old mill near us, with a cafe, and shops you can browse in. It’s a short train journey, so you can have a fun day out, without spending too much money.
As we keep promising the little one a train journey, it’s a great day out for us, because you don’t have to spend a lot of money and it gets you out of the house.
4. Visit English Heritage & National Trust sites
You will hear me talk about these days out in future blog posts. We were former members of English Heritage and have visited many sites, including Stonehenge. We even planned holidays solely around visiting these places. More on this when we renew our membership… CAN’T WAIT!
There are several sites where the grounds are free to walk around, it’s picturesque and something different. As a member, you get free parking, which is also a bonus.
Our local site will receive a visit from us, for something a little out of the ordinary, that our little one hasn’t seen before. We love visiting the cafe (if they have one) and maybe buying her something from the gift shop. Fun for all the family.
You can view details about English Heritage Sites here. For National Trust information click here. If you have a membership with one, they will often allow free entry or discounts on the other one.
To sign up for an English Heritage membership click here.
5. A drive in the car
Parents, hands up who takes their toddler out in the car, with no destination, just to get them to sleep? My hand is up! Pre-children, the hubby & I loved driving down a country lane and picking between left and right turns, to see where we ended up. Driving around, listening to music, without a care in the world. There is something relaxing about it.
Because we all have a week together as a family and toddlers have way too much energy, we will be making use of the car journey. See where we end up. Stop for a coffee if we see a cafe, or just park at the side of the road and take in the view.
These days we have a sing-a-long in the car, with some dance moves. I might create a Spotify playlist, including some of our favourite nursery rhymes for the car journey.
Entertaining kids at home can be difficult. Hopefully the following steps will help with some ideas to have fun on a budget…
6. Baking
Given my love of baking (read more about it in this post), we will be doing some this week.
Maybe something easy like shortbread biscuits. We have a cupboard full of icing pens and other decorations we can have fun with. After that, we will eat all the biscuits as a reward for cleaning up the mess. Pass me the baking supplies.
7. Read books
As we have a toddler creating chaos in the house and they often have way too much energy to read a book, we are trying to make a big deal about gathering a pile of books and reading them together.
Sometimes when we’re busy, reading gets pushed aside. We let her watch Peppa Pig on her tablet and try our best to watch educational cartoons and talk about it, but sometimes it’s an easy solution for a busy life. Any parent will understand the need for 30 minutes to do the dishwasher whilst the little one is distracted.
But this week is about making use of our endless one-on-one time. A great opportunity to read stories aloud and enjoy the fun. She can have a bit of tablet time as well. I’ve chosen easy to read picture books with a small number of words, a compelling story, and lots of animals. Let’s see how it goes. I will make a bookworm out of her!
We bought a lovely book package, which included a bookmark, drawing sheet and children’s book. You can find more details here. Before she was born, I also bought one of The Works books bundles. Affordable and great for toddlers. Although we showed her these too early and she was ripping the pages out! I would say they are perfect for ages 2+.
Charity shops were also a fantastic source of affordable book bundles. She has the Roald Dahl and Mr. Men complete sets sat on her bookshelf, and they were reasonably priced.
Books are the perfect way to have fun on a budget. I also try and give money to this charity when I can, to ensure disadvantaged children receive books because it’s so important for their development.
8. Home cinema
We are finally at the point where our little one will sit through Toy Story. How exciting.
As we’ve snapped up a free Disneyplus membership for three months, we are making use of this and have Disney films on most nights now (the hubby is on a mission to convince me to keep it).
During our annual leave, we will be watching the classics. Snuggled up in our blankets with some snacks, on the sofa together. Quality family time.
Luckily we have a lot of ducks near our house. For a toddler learning about animals at nursery, this is the best free activity we have access to. Most nights we take our old loaf of bread and give the ducks a slap-up meal. It’s always fun and exciting for all the family and gets us out of the house for some fresh air.
As we don’t have to worry about getting up early this week, we will be making the most of this time and taking our time in the evenings to enjoy the scenery.
This leads me onto the best and final activity of all…
10. Chilling in bed
After all that money-saving fun, I bet you need a snooze!
I am so happy our little one now wants to lay in bed and chill in the mornings. It’s horrible when you have to dive out of bed, still half asleep and tend to a crying baby!
On our rare days off, how many adults want to watch TV in bed, snuggled up without a care in the world? We will all be doing it this week. Our little pumpkin can fit in the middle of our bed and we will be snuggling, with snacks, and probably watching Disney films. Sometimes the sofa just doesn’t cut it and you need to be in a sleepy mode to enjoy your chill-out time.
Bring it on!
Final thoughts
I hope this post will be useful to anyone trying to entertain a toddler on a budget, or if you have children to entertain during school holidays at the moment.
Let me know your money-saving hacks for days out with the kids, or entertaining activities to do at home. I plan to take control of our family finances and keep saving money, so more ideas are welcome.
Your home has got to be safe for you and your baby. There are so many things that could potentially be dangerous, and you want to make sure that you are avoiding every single one of them. If you’re not 100% sure about the kinds of things that we’re talking about, then it’s a good thing that you have come across this article. Most articles like this will deal with basic things like baby proofing, but we’re going to look at more general maintenance of the home. Keep reading if you would like to find out more.
First, you need to make sure that you are sorting out any and all repairs as they arise. The longer you leave them, the more potential they have to get worse, and from there they can end up costing you a small fortune. We know that it can be expensive to get professionals out to take a look and fix the issue, but it’s going to be worth every single penny that you are going to have to spend. For example, if you need a local electrician to come out and sort an issue, it’s much safer than trying to do it yourself, even if it is going to cost you.
There are some repairs that you will be able to do by yourself though. These are the more basic repairs that you don’t have to have any kind of specialist knowledge to complete.
Have A Security System
It’s also important that you have a security system in your home so that you feel safe and secure. There are a lot of people out there who don’t have one, and we don’t really know how they feel completely safe in their homes. There are so many different types of security systems, so do your research and find the one that works the best for you. For example, some have silent alarms, and others have loud alarms that let the intruder know they have been caught. It depends on your goal, but make sure you’re looking into them.
Ensure All Windows And Doors Are Secure
The last thing on this list is to ensure that all of your windows and doors are secure. You don’t want there to be coldness getting through gaps in the door or windows, and you also don’t want anyone to see this as a vulnerability in your home. If you know that your windows or doors need sorting, then you need to get a professional in asap to check the seals and everything else.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you are going to need to do in order to keep your home safe for you and your baby. It’s important that you are giving your home a safe and stable environment to grow up in, which means putting your effort into things that you may not have put effort into before. We wish you the very best of luck and hope that you see success here.
When it comes to raising confident kids, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Every child is different, and what works for one might not work for another. That said, there are a few general tips that can help any parent raise a confident child. This blog post will discuss the most important tips for doing just that!
1) Encourage Independence:
Parents should strive to provide their children with opportunities to make decisions and do things independently. This will help them become more confident in their own abilities, as well as gain a better understanding of how the world works.
2) Celebrate Accomplishments:
It’s important for parents to celebrate their children’s successes, no matter how small. Doing so helps kids understand that accomplishments are something to be proud of, which will give them confidence when it comes time to tackle harder tasks in the future.
3) Praise Effort Over Results:
Most parents praise their kids when they get good grades or win a race. However, it is just as important – if not more so – to praise the effort and hard work that went into achieving those results. Doing this will help kids understand that there is value in trying, regardless of the outcome.
4) Encourage Healthy Risk-Taking:
Parents should foster an environment where their children feel comfortable taking risks and attempting new things. This could be anything from trying a new sport or musical instrument or even just speaking up in class. Taking healthy risks can help a child build confidence as they learn to trust their own judgement.
5) Model Confidence:
Children watch and learn from their parents more than they realize, so it’s important for parents to model confident behaviour. If you want your kids to be self-assured, make sure you are too. Show them how to be confident in uncomfortable situations, and don’t forget to praise yourself for your successes!
6) Have Realistic Expectations:
Parents should strive to set realistic expectations for their kids. This means being realistic about the amount of time it takes for a child to learn something or accomplish a goal, as well as not expecting children to achieve perfect results all the time. Doing this can help kids understand that mistakes are normal and nothing to be ashamed of.
7) Be Positive:
It’s important for parents to remain positive while raising their kids. Negative reinforcement can have an adverse effect on a child’s confidence, so always try to focus on the positives when providing feedback.
8) Give Opportunities to Develop Skills:
Providing kids with opportunities to develop their skills and learn new things is key when it comes to building confidence. This could be anything from signing them up for a sports team or art class, swim lessons, or simply giving them age-appropriate chores around the house.
9) Normalize failure:
Every child will face failure at some point in life, so it’s important for parents to normalize this experience. Remind your children that mistakes are an opportunity to learn and grow, not something they should be ashamed of. This will help them become more resilient and confident in the face of adversity.
10) Gentle parenting:
Gentle parenting is important for helping kids build confidence. This means responding to their feelings with empathy and understanding, using positive reinforcement, avoiding power struggles, and being mindful of their individual needs.
While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to raising confident kids, these tips can help parents provide their children with the tools they need to become more self-assured. With proper guidance and support, children can learn to trust in themselves and their abilities, which will set them up for success in life.
Today I am introducing you to a fabulous Mummy blogger. Jess’s blog, The Prosecco Mum, is worth a read. Grab a cup of tea and enjoy.
You will remember my advertiser’s post, where I said I could relate to the parenting struggles.
I wanted to pick out two of the blog posts which resonated with me and explain why you should go and read them today!
This post is packed full of nostalgia. Where do I start? I relate to every single point on the list.
You will be chuckling throughout. Head over for a read and step back in time for a few minutes.
Another hilarious post. As a mum with our first nursery birthday party invite and trying to find employment to suit childcare, this is a must-read for me.
Parents, you will be giggling throughout reading this one. And anyone else can feel a little bit smug.
If you missed the advertiser’s post, all the details you need to connect with Jess are below.
Why I loved checking out Jess’ blog
I love this blog! When you land on the homepage, you feel at home and in a safe parenting space. The pictures remind me of my parenting journey, and I love how honest Jess is about the ups and downs of parenting whilst being a working mum. You will also find a range of lifestyle topics and reviews of the local area.
A little bit about Jess
Not your ordinary mummy blogger. Established 2014, still no clue about parenting. Totally owned by her kids.
Taking motherhood one sip of fizz at a time.
Blog posts you should definitely also check out
Ways to connect with Jess
You can connect with Jess on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Final thoughts
Have you already checked out this amazing blog?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
A family holiday is an exciting time to enjoy quality time with your family. However, it isn’t a small feat to pull off, as many people find it overwhelming. Several factors guarantee that your family holiday will go on without a hitch. From knowing where to travel, the best way to travel, and making those exciting life memories last forever, here are four tips for planning an exciting holiday for your family.
Select the right holiday spot
It isn’t easy to choose a holiday destination for your family. Imagine the feeling when your kids want a winter location to enjoy the snow while you want to lounge and unwind in the sun somewhere. Your budget and how long you intend to stay are other factors worth considering. To choose the right destination, make a list of the interests of every member of the travelling party. Whether it’s hiking, seeing historic sites, or having some fun time at the beach, paying attention to the small details can be useful for selecting the best places and activities that appeal to everyone.
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Know your budget
Vacation costs vary greatly based on where you stay, mode of transport, the number of people you are travelling with, and your planned activities. While the average Brit pays less than £4000 per person, families, especially large ones, can expect to pay more. It can be useful to determine how much money you are willing to spend on the holiday. However, don’t forget that you will return to real life after the holiday. You can’t afford to blow your entire savings on a once-in-a-lifetime family trip. Therefore, set strict spending limits and stick to them. This could mean reducing one budget area to satisfy other needs, including emergencies and unforeseen costs.
Having determined how much you are willing to spend, it is now time to figure out how to get to the destination. Many families wonder whether to fly or how far they can drive, especially when taking a holiday to a theme park. Unfortunately, there is no set mileage limit for driving versus flying. You can use Google maps to determine the quickest route via scenic locations if you’ll go by car. If you have driven or flown with kids and didn’t enjoy either, measure flying costs vs the benefit of reduced travel time. You may be better off taking a road trip. In that case, ensure your vehicle is up to scratch. For example, if you are taking a road trip in a Mini, you can find specialist technicians at any Mini dealership to put your car in excellent condition for an amazing experience.
Prioritise health and safety
The safety and well-being of kids are a primary concern for every parent, and holidays are no exception. There are a few things worth considering, including the availability of doctors or healthcare at your proposed destination. It is vital to know any required vaccination if you travel out of the country. Travel protection plans are usually advised for family and other travel types. This way, you can protect your family from the unexpected, including medical expenses, trip delays or interruptions and cancellation fees.
If you want to have a perfect family holiday, begin planning before you leave. Paying attention to these details should ensure a terrific, stress-free family holiday for the entire family.
Almost every loving parent wants to raise a happy family and reap the benefits of happy family life. One way to achieve this is to know and prepare yourself for the challenges of raising a family. Being a parent comes with numerous challenges, from raising kids to dealing with health issues and financial constraints. Parenting today also offers newer challenges, especially as society continues to change and newer demands, requirements, and new parenting styles emerge. If you’re preparing to be a parent soon, here are some challenges you can expect to face.
Family breakdowns, relationship problems, and single-parenting
It’s probably safe to assume that no well-meaning person builds a family, hoping it will all fall apart soon, but it happens. Family breakdowns and separations are becoming even more common than you think. Therefore, it’s important to know what to do when you find yourself facing the possibilities of divorce, single-parenting, or child custody issues. In every case, your first and best attempt should be to find solutions to what’s threatening your marriage. However, you can always consult experienced solicitors in family law to assist you if these family issues arise.
Combining work with parenting
Many households deal with major challenges in their career as they struggle to juggle the demanding responsibilities of work and parenting. While your prime objective for working may be to keep your family clothed, sheltered, and fed, you don’t want to devote all your attention to work. Children, especially, need the constant presence of their parents to offer them the emotional support they need through various phases of their lives. You should learn how best to balance work requirements and family life so that one does not adversely affect the other.
Dealing with expectations
Every parent had some expectations of what their family lives would look like. You want your children to do well in good schools, a stable financial life, a nice family car, and frequent family vacations. But family life does not always turn out the way you dreamed of or expected. Expectations are great, but you need to make sure that they are realistic and attainable.
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Lack of emotional bonding
A lack of emotional connection is another thing many parents struggle with concerning their families. Several things can lead to this, including a lack of time, job, and stress, to mention a few. Failing to spend time with your family or connect with them emotionally has several consequences, especially for your children. For example, children may refrain from sharing their troubles with their parents and can easily go astray as a result.
Financial issues and quality of life
Financial issues are some of the main challenges many families face, especially when children come into the picture. Debt and money issues have resulted in many families falling apart. With the current standard of living going up worldwide, many families are beginning to face a lot more financial pressure than they used to. This has affected the quality of life of many families.
Does anyone remember the iconic board games you used to play as a child? They even made those travel-size ones so your parents could entertain you on the aeroplane. Maybe as an adult, you have a life-sized chess set ( I really want one of those regal-looking chess tables, except I don’t know how to play!). Someone, please tell me in the comments, that they have battleships. Or operation?
In this post, I am going to delve into why we loved playing these games so much as children. And also why we remember them so fondly.
The benefits of playing board games
Teaches you patience
For anyone who ever participated in a family game of monopoly, you will appreciate the level of patience required. This game can cause ongoing family disputes. Let me know in the comments below whether this game has ever caused you a family rift.
Playing a game of this nature requires small moves in order to lead to a bigger goal. Like goal setting as an adult. With the end result meeting your goal. Bring the winner, or make progress. Depending on how you look at life. Or how competitive you are.
You experience winning and losing
We are in the process of teaching my little one, life isn’t always about winning. It’s a hard lesson to learn, even for an adult.
Playing board games will teach her about being both the winner and the loser. Hopefully how adults process these emotions, and how to act accordingly when each one of these eventualities happens.
Teaching a person that it isn’t always about winning, but it is about making progress and participating, is one of the best lessons to learn.
They help you meet new people
In recent years, the rise of board game cafes and other social spaces offering board games makes me happy. Hopefully, holiday lets might bring them back soon, now we are in a somewhat post-pandemic phase. I used to love checking into our holiday cottage and searching for the board games cupboard.
Does anyone remember the World Of Warcraft centres? You only have to take a look at Twitch or YouTube to realise the gaming industry is huge. However, I am still a fan of the old iconic games, and whenever we show my little one them, she is too.
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Playing board games enhances creativity and self-confidence
I am a huge fan of any activity which increases creativity and self-confidence. Board games can be particularly beneficial for quiet individuals and connecting with young children, as a way to focus their minds and allow conversation. As an introvert myself, I love being part of something but also have a chance to sit back and take in what all the other players are doing.
Board games increase brain function
It is well known that engaging in play assists in practising essential cognitive skills, such as problem-solving, decision making, and higher-level strategic thinking. These are all measures my little one’s nursery and the school put in place for her to attain. And also essential skills we want to equip her with, as parents.
Encourages laughter
The twists and turns in any board game, or forgetting to take your turn in monopoly, can create laughter throughout the participants. And we all love an activity which creates laughter.
You can play board games anywhere at any time
There are no restrictions on your time when playing board games. You can practice by yourself, and lose yourself in learning how to master the game. Or you can spend hours trying to beat your opponents. I personally love any activity which allows you to lose time and immerse yourself in the experience.The world can be a scary place and escaping into a game can help your mental well-being.
In the world of tech, it’s also easy to play on your computer or phone. Maybe bring back some of those fond memories, play on a tablet with your child or partner and reap the benefits listed above.
Board games promote family time
Family time is something I am a huge advocate of. I’ve recently changed my circumstances to enable more time with my little one. And as a family, we try and do a few creative activities each day. Even when we have tablet time, we try to make this as interactive as possible and purposefully pick programmes and apps which allow for learning and development.
Help children understand how adults think
Toddlers love to mimic the world around them and it’s how they learn. What better lesson than sitting down and witnessing the critical, analytical thinking involved in a board game? It’s a valuable lesson we must teach our children.
My fond memories from childhood
I still remember the joy and anticipation I felt each time I played operation at my grandma’s house. Such a simple game brought hours of fun. It allowed my grandma to join in, but probably also sit comfortably (something anyone caring for children needs to be able to do – as a must. As a parent, I realise that now).
Battleships was another one of my favourite games and I would play with my dad and my grandad. When remembering these moments, they are etched in my mind so vividly. And I remember the pure joy attached to the moment.
Final thoughts
What are your fond memories from childhood?
Tell me your favourite board game. And whether you play these online or with the physical item? Do you love to do both?
I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
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