A group member in my respectful parenting Facebook group recently asked how can we expect a baby’s brain to learn and grow if we keep them confined in a simple play area with minimal and simple toys. 

To answer this very apt question, I’ll ask you to take a journey with me...

Anger is normal and even healthy. We as parents know that better than anyone because we've seen our 2-year-old show anger the likes of which would scare a full grown dragon! Fire n all!:)

BUT we and our children can learn how to deal with anger in a safe way. Safe for us. Safe for others.

Whereas...

That is, it’s developmentally normal. 

It’s really really hard for the parents when their child hits, and my heart goes out to you as you try to help your child and nothing seems to work! 

I hope the following helps ?

The front part of the brain (frontal cortex) is the...

I was once at a doctor’s appointment and while waiting for my turn, overheard a kid about 8-10 years protesting loudly in the next room. 

“No I don’t want to be touched! Please don’t do this! It hurts!” His mom: “No no beta.. it doesn’t hurt..”...

In my workshops, I sometimes ask parents to introduce themselves as one of their children. This is how it normally goes,

“My name is Ayesha and I’m 2 years old. I’m really cute but I drive my mom nuts with my tantrums... (continues to describe the tantrums in detail)”...

I’m the first person to tell you that there are no magical solutions in parenting, no instant “fixes”. 

Mostly. 

Except, there IS one thing that TRULY has a magical effect if you try it with all your heart and soul in it. 

And if you’ve spent any amount of...

This is what happens when we show up in our kids’ lives with curiosity (I wonder why you did what you did so I can help you) and mindfulness (I’m all in right now, ready to move at your pace), and without judgement (you’re not just lazy, slow, forgetful, rude, disorganized etc.)...

This might seem a bit confusing at first because we think, don’t our kids belongl to us? Why on earth would they think or feel that they don’t? 

Well, apparently lots of kids do lose their sense of belonging. Brene Brown talks about her research findings on 5th graders across the...

Because to children, their feelings are everything. 

When we reject their feelings, we reject them. 

Rejected people have no desire to do good in life. 

Everything we’ve been taught in life and everything we’ve experienced has sent us ONE message and one message only......

When we think about what our kids need most from us, we think love.

No one would argue that our kids need love from us.

The problem arises when we explore what that love looks like.

The truth is that for all the centuries that mankind has inhibited earth, parenting hasn’t evolved much at...