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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: gentle discipline book
How To Not Lose Your Temper As A Parent
My first real ‘red mist’ moment didn’t happen until towards the end of the toddler years. Since then they have been more regular than I would care to admit. You know what though? That’s life. Nobody is perfect. There is nothing wrong with anger, it’s a normal human emotion and actually a very useful one (more on this later). The problem is in the way we deal with it, especially in front of our children. Continue reading
Posted in Mothering
Tagged children driving me crazy, gentle discipline, gentle discipline book, how to control temper as a parent, how to stay calm as a mother, how to stay calm with children, kids driving me crazy, mindful mothering, mindful parenting, parental anger, sleep. baby sleep
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Whining Woes – Why Children Whine & How to Stop it.
Why Do Children Whine?
Children whine for many different reasons; however, there are some that are fairly universal. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons for whining and how to reduce them, using a mindful and gentle approach to discipline. Continue reading
Posted in Teens, Toddlers, Tweens
Tagged child always whines, gentle discipline, gentle discipline book, gentle parenting whinging, gentle parenting whining, how to stop child whinging, how to stop child whining, how to stop toddler whinging, how to stop toddler whining, how to stop whining, whinging child, whining child, whining teenager, whining toddler, why do children whine
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The Three Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Disciplining Children
It doesn’t matter if you’re an authoritarian parent, hot on punishment and reward, or a gentle parent, focused on connection and empathy. Your kid is going to misbehave. Because that’s what they do….. Continue reading
Five Steps to Effective Discipline
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
Why Common Discipline Methods Don’t Work (and What to do Instead)
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
Gentle Parenting – You Mean ‘Hippy, Pushover Parenting’? Busting Ten Gentle Parenting Myths.
…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
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