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In my #GentleDiscipline book I talk about the problem of a #naturedeficit and how spending less time in nature is negatively affecting our children, both physically (their eyesight is getting worse as a result) and emotionally (more difficult behaviour). Children today are far more likely to be able to identify corporate logos, than they are tree and wildflower species. Nature words are disappearing from their vocabulary at an alarming rate as they spend far much more time indoors, in play centres and in front of screens. Simply, our kids need to get outside more - and so do we. Especially if we want to protect what little nature is left on our planet. We need to raise kids who treasure it! . Forests played a huge role in my own upbringing, one of my favourite possessions was my tree spotting book - I can still name almost every species of tree, just by looking at its leaves, or bark. If I didn’t write books, my dream job is to work as a gardener. Forests make me feel calm and revitalise me more than any other landscape (and I spent the first five years of my life growing up on the coast). They have played a large role in my kids’ lives too - we make full use of our @nationaltrust passes and are lucky to live close to a beautiful large ancient, protected forest and we’ve been on many @forestholidays as a family. We were lucky that their school run weekly forest school sessions too (though the need for forest school makes me feel sad). . Children today need to climb more trees, have more conker fights, play with sycamore aeroplanes, make fairy tea parties with acorn cups, gather more blackberries and eat them straight from the bush, make more daisy chains and leaf prints, dissect owl pellets, play in mud, collect forest treasures and breathe more fresh air. This little book has lots of great ideas if spending time in forests isn’t second nature to you - or your kids. . . . #foresttherapy #forestschool #naturekids #wildkids #naturematters #wildings #wildthings #hugatree #gentleparenting #naturalparentingSo much truth in this. It doesn’t matter what brand of clothes your kids are wearing, when they slept through the night, when they potty trained, when they start reading, how many words they know, what you do today and how many tantrums they have. What matters is that they are loved and accepted for who they are.....and that means starting with accepting yourself and all that you offer to them. Forget the superficial stuff and focus on the love 💕💕 . . . #gentleparenting #gentlediscipline #gentlesleep #positiveparenting #attachmentparenting #naturalparenting #bedsharing #cosleeping #unconditionalparenting #mindfulparenting #mindfulmotherhood #toddlercalm #babycalm #sarahockwellsmith #parentingtipsI came across a tweet by @neildegrassetyson this week, saying “Scientists are simply adults who retained and nurtured their native curiosity from childhood” and it reminded me of this picture of my daughter when she was a toddler. She had found a bottle of sun cream (a baby one, so that thick, sticky greasy white stuff) and tipped the whole lot out over herself and my rug. . My first instinct was to yell, angry that she’d wasted a whole bottle of expensive cream and ruined my rug too. Then I paused, she hadn’t been deliberately naughty. She was experimenting, being naturally curious about the properties of the cream and how she could manipulate it. She was actually being pretty darn clever. There was no malice or manipulation behind her actions, just curiosity. Now, 9 years on, she’s a fantastic scientist and still as curious as ever. . I could have shouted and chastised her on this day, but instead I decided to see the good in what she’d done. I snapped the picture for posterity, held my tongue while I spent *hours* cleaning her, her dress and the rug and learned that I needed to be cleverer about where I kept the sun cream in future 😉 . . . #gentlediscipline #gentleparenting #positiveparenting #positivediscipline #attachmentparenting #naturalparenting #mindfulparenting #mindfulmothering #toddlercalm #sarahockwellsmithWishing you all the strength you need to get through this week 😘 . . . #monslay #mondaymotivation #gentleparenting #attachmentparenting #positiveparenting #mindfulparenting #mindfulmotherhood #mindfulmothering #parentinginspirationTop Posts & Pages
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Tag Archives: toddler sleep
When (and How) Should you Drop a Nap?
It may surprise you that actually nobody knows how long babies and toddlers should nap for and how many naps they should have per day. If you have followed recommendations from a book or chart it’s important you know that the figures they contain are completely most likely based on nothing more than personal opinion and random guesswork. Continue reading
Posted in Babies, Toddlers, Uncategorized
Tagged baby sleep, daytime naps, drop a nap, dropping naps, how many naps should baby have, how many naps should toddler have, how to drop nap, how to drop of two naps, how to drop to one nap, how to get baby to nap, how to get rid of daytime nap, how to get toddler to nap, reducing naps, toddler sleep
12 Comments
Let’s Talk About Bad Habits (and Baby and Child Sleep)
Bad habits. Rocking to sleep, feeding to sleep, cuddling to sleep, bedsharing…there are so many potholes and pitfalls to be avoided as a new parent. If you commit any of these heinous sins you are sure to end up with … Continue reading
Posted in Babies, Toddlers
Tagged baby cries when put down, baby needs feeding to sleep, baby needs rocking to sleep, baby sleep, baby sleep training, baby will only sleep in my arms, baby won't sleep alone, bad baby habits, bad habits baby, bad sleeping habits, creating bad habits, rod for your own back, toddler sleep
8 Comments
How Long Should Babies and Toddlers Sleep For? (Infographic)
The following infographic provides a realistic look at baby, toddler and preschooler sleep. Including average night waking, need for night feeds, sleep regression and average amount and timings of naps. Continue reading
Posted in Babies, Preschoolers, Toddlers
Tagged average baby sleep, average toddler sleep, baby sleep, baby sleep expert, baby sleep training, baby won't sleep, droppings naps, how long should baby nap, how long should baby sleep, how long should toddler sleep, newborn sleep, sleep, sleep regression, toddler sleep
1 Comment
One simple way to improve your baby or child’s sleep today!
Did you know that millions of parents around the world are making one very simple, but huge, mistake that is potentially inhibiting their child’s sleep (no matter their age) and contributing to difficult bedtimes and frequent night waking. This mistake … Continue reading
Posted in Babies, Toddlers
Tagged baby can't sleep, baby night light, baby sleep expert, baby sleep expert uk, baby sleep training, baby won't sleep, blue light melatonin, child sleep expert, child sleep training, gentle sleep, gentle sleep book, gentle sleep training, nightlight baby, red light melatonin, red night light, red nightlight, sleep. baby sleep, toddler can't sleep, toddler sleep, Toddler Sleep Expert, toddler sleep training, toddler won't sleep
5 Comments
Ten Common Toddler Parenting Myths You Likely Believe (and Why you Shouldn’t!).
There are so many parenting myths in circulation in society. I’m sure you’ve come across many yourself. Many are obviously myths and therefore easy to ignore. Others however seem far more ingrained and sound far more plausible. The plausibility and popularity … Continue reading
Posted in Toddlers
Tagged extrinsic motivation, intrinsic motivation, night terrors, nightmares, Parenting, reward charts, sticker charts, supernanny, toddler, toddler behaviour, toddler behaviour chart, toddler expert, toddler expert uk, toddler night waking, toddler sleep, toddler sleeping through night, toddler sticker chart, toddler won't sleep, ToddlerCalm, toddlers
20 Comments
How to gently night wean a breastfed baby or toddler
Breastfeeding is an amazing tool to help settle children at night. As a mother of four I have found that by far the easiest way to get my children to sleep at night was by breastfeeding them (well into the … Continue reading
Posted in Babies, Toddlers
Tagged baby sleep, baby won't sleep, gentle sleep coach, gentle sleep training, night weaning, nightweaning, sleeping through the night, stop night feeds, stopping night feeds, toddler sleep, toddler won't sleep, weaning baby from the breast, weaning toddler from the breast
39 Comments
