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Is it just me who misses homemade costumes for kids? . I know I look totally shit here (who knows what inspired my parents to dress me as the 3 of clubs? 🤷🏻♀️), but I remember the love, thought and time that went into this costume. I helped to colour in the clubs 💕 (badly). . . I was shopping earlier this week and came across row upon row of mass produced Halloween outfits for kids. Nobody seems to hand make them anymore 🙁 - no more black bin bag witches cloaks and cones of black paper decorated with those gummy silver stars. It makes me sad 🙁 - I think kids miss out in the joy of helping to create their own costumes when we just buy them off the peg. Homemade can be a lot cheaper too. Kids don’t care if they look as stupid as I did here, they just enjoy the involvement and excitement of making something. No special skills, sewing machines or expensive craft kits required. . . . #bringbackhomemadecostumes #bringbackhomemade #homemadecostume #homemadecostumes #halloweencostume #bookdaycostume #worldbookdaycostume #dressingupfun #sarahockwellsmith #homemade #thesimplelife #checkoutthe80swallpaperWhat this child *actually* learned is that his mother is a bully. Most likely he learned to bully others from her. . What this DOESN’T teach is: . 1. That he can go to his mother to talk about his problems and ask her for help in dealing with them (ie the problems that caused him to externalise his pain and hurt others). . 2. How to deal with his emotions in a calm and productive way. . 3. How to respect others (because it’s likely he’s never been respected by his own family). . Quite simply hurt people hurt people. . There’s only one way to stop bullying - and it’s not making the kid feel worse 🙁 . . . #gentleparenting #bullying #consciousparenting #mindfulparenting #peacefulparenting #gentlediscipline #mindfuldiscipline #positivediscipline #nonviolentcommunication #parentingteens #parentingtips #sarahockwellsmithGood morning everyone! I haven’t done an intro on here for a little while, so I thought I’d do one with a difference 😉. . So, standard stuff out of the way first; I’m Sarah. I write books about parenting/child psychology (my best known is The Gentle Sleep Book - but I’ve also written about pregnancy, birth, eating, discipline and potty training). I’m 42, live in Essex, England and have 4 kids (3 boys and a girl). I also work with parents 1-2-1 for consults via Skype, email and in person and also via workshops. I’m currently developing my first e-course. . What I’d really love to tell you though is, despite being known as a parenting expert, I’m just like you. ie: human. I mess up, I get things wrong and second guess myself all the time. The problem with being a ‘parenting expert’ is that people seem to think you’re perfect and infallible and it also makes you pretty off-putting and unapproachable IMO. So, what I’d really like to introduce you to is my flaws and failures! . . 1. I am a yeller....and when I yell my best Essex accent comes out 😉. I try *really* hard to not yell, but sometimes I don’t manage it. I also LOVE to swear/curse. . 2. I’m pretty lazy. I’m often asked “wow, 4 kids, 9 books - how do you do it?!”. The real answer is I never iron anything, or make my bed and my house is frequently a tip (my kids think we only tidy when people are coming round - they’re probably right). . . 3. I love my kids with all my heart but sometimes I need to get away from them. Thank goodness for ‘back to school’ is all I can say 😉 . 4. My kids often say “for a parenting expert, you’re not a very good one are you?!”. I have also bribed them on occasion to “act like you’re a perfect kid and I’m a great mum” when they come to work events with me 😉 . 5. Sometimes (often) I wonder why the hell people want to hear what I have to say 🤔 - because I often feel at a loss re. parenting myself. Other parenting experts scare the hell out of me and I have TERRIBLE imposter syndrome! . So, that’s me. Tell me about you? . . . #sarahockwellsmith #parentingexpert #babyexpert #toddlerexpert #childcareexpert #parentingtips #parentingbook #realmum #realmom #realmumlife #tiredmamaWe cannot legally hit another adult, or an animal; but we are allowed to hit children in the name of discipline (yes - it is perfectly legal in England!). Go figure 🤔 . What does hitting teach kids? * to resolve conflicts with violence * to use power to get what you want, and.. * to encourage behaviour based on fear. . What does it NOT teach? * how to behave better * how to control/regulate emotions * respect . . . Yet two thirds of parents still think it’s good to do! . . . #gentleparenting #gentlediscipline #positiveparenting #positivediscipline #gentledisciplinebook #sarahockwellsmith #mindfulparenting #peacefulparenting #consciousparenting #attachmentparenting #disciplineTop Posts & Pages
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Tag Archives: cio
Self Settling – What Really Happens When You Teach a Baby to Self Soothe to Sleep
So many, parents and experts alike, advocate the idea of “teaching a baby to self settle” or “self soothe”. Self soothing is often referred to as the holy grail of baby sleep, once babies can self soothe, parents are told to expect … Continue reading →
Posted in Babies, Preschoolers, Toddlers
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Tagged amygdala controlled crying, cio, gentle sleep training, gina ford, hippocampus controlled crying, maternal nurturing, pick up put down, self settling, self settling myth, self soothing, self soothing myth, sleep training, teach baby to self settle, teach baby to self soothe, the baby whisperer
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116 Comments
I Can Get any Baby Sleeping Through the Night in One Week
WARNING – THE START OF THIS POST IS FICTITIOUS I DO NOT REALLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING – PLEASE READ TO THE END! I am 99% certain I can get any baby, even a tiny 8 week old ‘sleeping through’ 7pm … Continue reading →
Posted in Babies
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Tagged baby expert UK, baby sleep, baby sleep expert, baby sleep trainer, baby sleep training, baby whisperer, cio, contented little baby sleep, controlled comforting, controlled crying, controlled soothing, cry it out, gina ford, parenting expert UK, pick up put down, spaced soothing
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44 Comments
An Open Letter to Gina Ford – Author of The Contented Little Baby Book
Dear Gina, I was interested to learn of your latest book “The Contented Mother’s Guide” (via this Daily Mail article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110738/Don-t-say-sex-ready-childcare-guru-Gina-Ford-tells-new-mothers.html). I haven’t read your book yet so am only commenting on what appears to be the press releases sent out … Continue reading →
Posted in Babies, Mothering
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Tagged attachment parenting expert, baby expert, baby feeding routine, baby sleep through the night, baby sleep training, birth trauma, cio, contented little baby, controlled crying, cry it out, Daily Mail, dream feed, gina babies, gina ford, gina ford book, gina ford feeding, gina ford routine, gina ford sleep, gina ford weaning, new baby routine, newborn routine, parenting expert, pnd, postnatal depression, postnatal recovery, Sarah Ockwell-Smith, sleep training, uk baby expert, uk parenting expert
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67 Comments
