Category Archives: Preschoolers

Five Steps to Effective Discipline

Posted on February 26, 2017 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Being mindful of neurological development is critical when you discipline. Most mainstream discipline methods – time out, naughty steps, exclusion, shaming and loss of privileges – expect cognitive abilities from children that they just don’t have Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Teens, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged child behaviour expert, gentle discipline, gentle discipline book, how to discipline, how to stop toddler, naughty step not working, time out not working, toddler behaviour | Leave a comment

Why Common Discipline Methods Don’t Work (and What to do Instead)

Posted on February 20, 2017 by SarahOckwell-Smith

most common discipline methods focus on encouraging children to do and be better, so that they are motivated by rewards if they behave ‘well’ and punishments if they misbehave. This would seem sensible, but it makes one huge mistake. Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Teens, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged child behaviour expert, effective discipline, gentle discipline, gentle discipline book, how to discipline, how to make toddler behave, naughty children, naughty step, parenting expert, positive discipline, time out | 1 Comment

Schemas – What You Need to Know to Understand Your Toddler’s ‘Naughty Behaviour’

Posted on February 18, 2017 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Have you ever wondered why your child does something, even when you’ve told them not to and explained why they shouldn’t do it? Perhaps your three year old insisted on touching the oven door, even though you told him not to because it was very hot. Being told something and doing it yourself are two very different things. It is only when the child touches the oven door and experiences the heat that he truly understands and learns. Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Toddlers, Uncategorized | Tagged connecting schema, connection schema, containing schema, discipline book, enveloping schema, gentle discipline, how to stop toddler emptying, how to stop toddler throwing, positioning schema, rotation schema, schemas, schemas in children's play, toddler always throwing, trajectory schema, transporting schema | Leave a comment

Gentle Parenting – You Mean ‘Hippy, Pushover Parenting’? Busting Ten Gentle Parenting Myths.

Posted on December 19, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

…if people ask me to explain gentle parenting in a nutshell I always say the same “treating children how we would like to be treated ourselves”. To this day I don’t understand why it is so controversial, except perhaps that we don’t treat ourselves very well? Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Mothering, Preschoolers, Teens, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged childcare expert, discipline techqniques, gentle discipline, gentle discipline book, gentle parenting, gentle parenting book, gentle parenting expert, how to discipline, natural consequences, parenting expert, positive discipline, positive parenting, problem with naughty step, problem with time out | 2 Comments

Five Reasons why I Hate Elf on the Shelf

Posted on December 4, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Every few years a new parenting ‘must have’ comes along. These toys, sleep props, books and nursery items quickly develop a cult like following. Parents can quickly get sucked in, often feeling left out, or rather worrying that their children are left out if they don’t jump on the trendy train. The truth is children miss out on nothing without an elf. Christmas is no less magical without them. Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged christmas commercialism, christmas elf, christmas gentle parenting, elf on shelf problems, elf on the shelf, gentle parenting elf, kindness elves, scared of father christmas, scared of santa, why shouldn't use elf shelf | 2 Comments

My Top Toy Recommendations

Posted on September 28, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Most toys inhibit imagination and have a very limited range of play, no wonder that so many parents say “he only plays for a minute or two”. A ‘good’ toy needs to involve an element of control in terms of how a child chooses to play with it, ie: there needs to be more than just one action/motion/use. Ideally it will be gender neutral too. Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Preschoolers, Toddlers, Tweens | Tagged educational toys, gentle parenting toys, heuristic play toys, toy recommendations for babies, toy recommendations for toddlers, treasure basket contents, treasure baskets, wooden toys | Leave a comment

Getting to ‘Goodnight’ and Go

Posted on June 16, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

The goal is to tuck the child in, read them a story, give them a goodnight kiss and leave the bedroom shortly after, with the child still awake. Watch any film, soap or drama on TV and any bedtime will look exactly like this. The child sweetly replies with their “goodnight”, yawns, turns their head over on the pillow, eyes close and not a peep is heard from them until the next morning. Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Toddlers | Tagged baby sleep expert, baby sleep training, bedtime cd for children, bedtime meditation for children, bedtime recording for children, bedtime stories, go to sleep alone, go to sleep in own room, go to sleep independently, go to sleep without me, goodnight kiss then sleep, guided meditation for children, guided relaxation for children, independent sleep | 5 Comments

The Manipulation Myth

Posted on June 2, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Believing that babies and young children can and do manipulate us predisposes to parent as two teams. Us against them. It predisposes us to punish and ignore, rather than connect and understand. Continue reading →

Posted in Babies, Preschoolers, Toddlers | Tagged babies don't manipulate, babies manipulate, baby crying, rod for your own back, toddler manipulate, toddler tantrum, toddlers don't manipulate | 5 Comments

When is it Best to NOT be Child Led Regarding Sleep?

Posted on May 10, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

Many will know me as an author who advocated being as child led as possible as much as possible, particularly when it comes to sleep. I expect therefore that this post will surprise quite a few. Continue reading →

Posted in Preschoolers, Toddlers | Tagged baby led, baby sleep expert, baby sleep training, bedtime routine, child led, four year old bedtime, good bedtime routine for baby, good bedtime routine for toddler, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, three year old bedtime, toddler bedtime, toddler expert, two year old bedtime, what bedtime for a four year old, what bedtime for a three year old, what bedtime for a toddler, what bedtime for a two year old | 5 Comments

How to Stop Cosleeping and Bedsharing….

Posted on April 12, 2016 by SarahOckwell-Smith

One of the questions I’m most commonly asked is “when do children grow out of the need to sleep with somebody?”, or in other words – when do children naturally outgrow bedsharing? Continue reading →