Young children aged 2 to 6 are nothing like us, but this doesn’t stop us from expecting them to be behave better. Their unique personality is characteristically brazen, obsessive, impulsive, hysterical, aggressive, resistant, compulsive, and unpredictable. Fairness for the preschooler means getting what they want, and getting along is overrated. Sharing is not caring according [...]
One of the most liked comments on my Facebook page was, "Wow. Three-year-olds can be crazy making." It can be very hard to be kind to a child who continually pushes our buttons. I know; I’ve been in the “parenting trenches.” I’ve spent hours trying to calm myself when my youngest son woke me up [...]
For those parents who live in Southwestern Ontario or know people who do, I'd like to share some information about our new school. Here are seven ways our Infinity School (an Acton Academy) program is different from traditional schooling, whether that is through public or private schools: Infinity School students will be taught to think critically. This article [...]
Have you ever felt like saying, “I’ve tried everything and my child still won’t listen!”? There are several factors involved in a child’s willingness to cooperate. What you should know is that a child not doing what she is told is less about “not listening” and more about how able she feels to do what [...]
“That’s enough!” you yell, slamming your mug on the counter with such force hot coffee splashes over the side. Your kids stop in their tracks, staring at you with wide, scared eyes. Ugh! You yelled again. You were trying so hard not to yell anymore. Some days it just seems impossible to keep your cool. Immediately, the [...]
Every parent who has ever endured a toddler meltdown over miscommunication looks forward to the day that toddlers are able to articulate their needs and wants better. You, your partner, and other primary child-givers are going to be teaching your children how to talk. Here are 10 tips to teach your toddler to communicate better, [...]
I am thrilled this day has come! When my children were young, I knew what kind of education I wanted for them based on the variety of amazing schools I've had the opportunity to work in as a teacher and counsellor, speak in as a presenter, and also what I've been learning about education in [...]
I knew last night’s bedtime was going to be tricky when I spotted my youngest son jumping back and forth across the room from his bed to his brother’s. I was right: it took him quite a long time to settle down. I don’t blame him, though; it is pretty hard to get to sleep [...]
Our family stumbled across Hershey, PA quite by accident. I was scheduled to present at a conference in Washington, DC so my husband and I began looking for fun places to visit along the way. We like taking road trips so we looked at what was en route between Southern Ontario and Washington. We seriously [...]
Before having children, I didn’t realize that it was possible to cut toast the “wrong” way, or “break” the banana, prematurely stir the yogurt, or use the incorrect colour of plate. But parents of toddlers know that this is a THING—actually, quite a stressful thing. I remember the last time I mistakenly put butter on [...]
Andrea Loewen Nair is a counsellor, parenting educator and international media parenting expert based in London, Ontario, Canada. Her therapy background helps parents to understand at a deeper level what to do when kids drift away, behaviour goes wild, buttons are pushed and old negative self-talk gets too loud.
Her goal is to let parents know they are not alone in their struggles and to provide practical help that makes big positive changes. Parenting can be very hard—and Andrea wants to help.
