Getting your child to leave a fun activity can be difficult.  Whether it’s at the pool or playground or if they’ve just met a new friend, kids approach play full-on.  Getting them ready to go, especially if it is something that they are entirely engrossed in, can be hard.  But approaching it with their needs in mind first, vs yours, can allow them to leave in good spirits.  Leaving can even be transformed into a fun activity that they will get excited about.
1. Speak In Their Language
The number one way I hear parents at a playground try to get their kids to leave is with a warning like “OK, Sarah, 5 more minutes and then we are leaving!”.  If your child is under age 5 …

Just found this in my archives from several months ago….
I’ve found myself quite tired recently, and so my old coping patterns come up… like bullying through my day, moving from one task to the next to keep me going. I end up shunting my kids around town, or not really being available to them at home. When things become too much for me, I shut down into my own busy jobs and miss good quality time with my children. Their attention is my number one job, and I know we can’t be on for them every second, but I feel I could do better.
One day my daughter came up to me all excited, asking me to come look at something she spent a lot of time …

I wish I had the knowledge and experience of raising a young boy and girl when I was younger myself.  I think it would have helped me better understand gender differences experienced later on in adult life. The natural differences in boys and girls are astounding and very distinct, especially at a young age.  We all know the stereotypes as adults: women are more emotional, better communicators and team players.  Men are more about action than words, and doing it themselves etc..  Toddlers playing with big trucks, smashing toys and wrestling with each other often contrast with girls playing with dolls, putting on pretend shows and playing tea party.  But are we teaching them to reflect our own gender preferences, or is there a natural …

In our society, there is generally a high value placed on being competitive not only at home, but in the workplace, sports and even within relationships. Competition is said to “build character” and “achieve excellence” and overcome laziness – it is a very normal way to demonstrate our success as humans.  Competitive sports are thought to be great for “team building” and working together towards a goal. Trophies and prizes are handed out regularly to children at sporting events, or even at school. I grew up playing sports and believe the physical activity is of great benefit – as an average athlete, I was master of none. As parents we read some Waldorf findings about children being introduced to sport too early because: 1) they …

Parents in the Kootenays should be grateful to know that support workers in our communities are being exposed to research and ahead-of-the-curve perspectives on caring for and raising children. Success By Six, Selkirk College, The Family Place, School District 8 and others sponsored “Love Grows Brains”. My attachment-parent heart was aflutter when our daughter’s pre-school caregiver Laura brought this conference to our attention. Dr. Gabor Maté was going to be speaking. We couldn’t wait!
At the lectures, I and many others were like giddy school kids in the presence of a rock star. So when he walks in, wearing all black, looking tired and disheveled, I thought, great and he’s human too. Here is a smattering of what stood out for me.
Friday May 8, 2009 – …