When my three boys were two, four and five, we played a game called “Secret Teddy.” Teddy was a small, ragged stuffed bear that “mysteriously appeared” on one son’s pillow each night with a little note describing how he had been especially caring that day. (Trying to be sneaky was always challenging). I only needed [...]
From the moment your baby bump starts to show, others are likely to provide unsolicited advice or comment on your parenting strategies. The motivation for unsolicited advice is interesting. Some people are genuinely concerned with helping, whereas others might be attempting to steal power from you by asserting a false parenting superiority. The comments I [...]
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 [...]
“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 [...]
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 [...]
A study published in the BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, suggests that mothers have a higher chance of experiencing depressive symptoms four years after giving birth than in the first twelve months after their child is born. I’m not surprised. I certainly found myself collapsing into tears considerably more when my children [...]
I was listening to a mother tell me how much of a “jerk” her five-year-old was. She explained that he was “out to get her,” and “trying to make her life miserable.” With a deep sigh, she told me she didn’t want to be with her son, which made her very sad. “I mean, I [...]
Since telling my friends and family we made the big decision to start homeschooling, a common question I hear is: “So? How’s the homeschooling going?” I’m going to be honest and tell you that up until about a month ago, I was saying, “Sometimes it's rough.” On a few occasions I have hung my head, [...]
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.
