ParentingSuccess

11/11/2025

My kids and I were discussing which is our favourite season the other day - and I heard myself saying 'autumn'🍁
No kid says 'autumn'. As a child the warmth of summer and the hope of spring feels far more luring.. but the older I get - autumn feels timely. Like a warm invitation to begin to winter, hibernate, put on my woolly jumper, go for walks and huddle by the fire.
I missed it terribly when I lived in Dubai for many years. It was as if the inner seasonal clock would protest - that swim wear isn't natural attire all year round.
But I think the seed of love of Autumn were planted when I lived in Vermont, New England, as a 19 year old. A year away from my family - I got to fully immerse myself in the east coast way of life in my mountain side home for the 13months I was there for.
The beauty wasn't all lost on my 19 year old self - although I feel grateful that I get to live in England at this phase of life where the autumn doesn't disappoint either. I guess there's a reason it's called NEW England 🍁
I'm curious - which is your favourite season?

20/10/2025

Time to look at this little word; NO
It's not that saying it is hard - it's the upshot of disappointment, pushback, negotiation, meltdown, threats and lack of cooperation that can feel so daunting to take on - in the midst of busy life.
Maybe that's one of the reasons it feels tempting to bend our limits when we've been asked enough times for
'More screen time'
'One more snack'
'A toy at the shops'
'Sleeping in our bed'
Here's the bad news;
You can't control what your child FEELS about your limits

But .. the good news is;
You can learn to communicate your no in a way that invites cooperation - not power struggles
When two forces collide - 💥happens - and it erodes our connection and ability to lead our child without the use of more force, threats and telling off.
Join my upcoming mini webinar.
It's FREE and you are sure to get inspiried and empowered to boost connection with your child.
👆
Grab your space using the link in bio 💙

09/10/2025

Siblings 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️
The greatest source of joy - and the greatest disturber of peace in the family. We rarely pause to reflect on why our kids' relationship is so strong, why they fight but generally feel connected and look out for each other.
As with our own relationships- the sibling relationship is both full of conflict, love, hate, tears and laughter. It's a sign of their connection.
But when they mostly bicker, compete, hurt and sabotage each other - getting curious can get us a lot further than merely judging and assigning blame
Often we don't have a sibling problem - but a parent child problem.
💬maybe we've turned our attention to other things for a while - not nurturing that daily connection to one of our kids.
💬maybe one of our kids are not themselves reaching out - and it's been difficult to see that they need us
💬maybe it's hard for them to bring their honest feelings to us - because they overwhelm us - so they take it out on their sibling
Without blame - can you maybe see where you could give more undivided positive attention to the child who's currently asking for love in unloving ways?
🫶

07/10/2025

Is something we say in our house -when we don't agree with each other's food choices
It feels vulnerable to honour one's tastes and choices in the face of someone's disgust and strong disapproval
Maybe you've noticed too - that it's easier to disagree when we speak from the 'I' position
Rather than
"Ew that's disgusting"
💬 " that's not for me"
Rather than:
"Ballet is so uncool"
💬 "I don't get ballet"
Encouraging our kids to talk from the I-position can help them with two things;
1. Take personal ownership of what they're saying (which often makes us less hurtful in our judgments)

2. Teach our kids that not agreeing isn't about tearing the other person down - but leaving space for two perspectives/realities - at the same time

29/09/2025

Celebrated this gorgeous boy this weekend💙
And with him hitting the big 11 - there's a sense that my baby is growing up.
Raising kids until this point often feels like an endless slow going ascend - on a slow roller coaster. The days can feel long and repetitive.

You can feel touched out, too needed, suffocated and unfree at times. Over stimulated - and under stimulated, tired and sleep deprived.
And then - without you barely noticing - there's less;
"Muuuum - can you come with me upstairs"
"I can't fall asleep without you next to me"
More time to yourself, and more of that 'freedom' that felt so luring when you were needed for every moment.
And nice as it is - there's also a longing and sadness at what's changing.. what has to change.
I find more and more - a willingness to look at my involvement in their lives as :
Not I have to - but I get to!
I get to chauffeur you around the county for football - treasuring the moments listening to each others music and chatting
I get to sit in the bathroom and chat to you while you shower -or bath.
I get to support you with your spellings
I get to walk you to school and drop you off in front of all your mates while giving you a kiss

The connection is still as tight - but the invisible line between us is elastic.
💙

24/09/2025

When I work with parents - a sign of success and something to celebrate is when we become able to pause.
Pause before we allow whatever annoyance, anger or fear that exists inside to highjack the moment and make us do or say things that we late regret.
Pausing is no small feat. It's a practice. It'll sometimes feel like an anti climax, leave you feeling powerless and weak.
But trust me - there's nothing weak about being able to practice more self-control when in the heat of the moment we seek to control our child, our partner - a situation.
Perhaps
Another
Unseen
Solution
Exists

❣️
Heard this in the brilliant book
We keep doing what we've always done until we allow something new to happen. And the pause allows us that.
Let me support you on that journey - to make you feel empowered and proud of the way you show up in your parenting
Book a free discovery call (link in bio 👆

16/09/2025

I'm not known for being a 'napper'. But I practice allowing myself the rest I need and deserve.
It can feel easier with a puppy in my lap - and as you can tell - it did the job 😉

12/09/2025

Power struggles
Battle of will

There are many names to describe the unproductive dynamic that quickly arise when we feel powerless as parents
Just put on your rain coat
Say sorry to your sibling

It often starts with small things. A request is being refused and the anger starts bubbling up.
If I let my child 'win' this scenario - I've lost.
So we stubbornly push back. And when force meets counter force 💥💥💥 it's not pretty

And when we go about resistance in this way - we only get more of it.

Here's an alternative 💭

✅act from your own zone of control. I can't MAKE my child say the words 'I'm sorry' - so I can model empathy looks like until they're ready to apologise 'are you okay. Sorry you got hurt"

✅ make it clear what's important to you might not be important to your child; "well I would like you to bring a raincoat so I'm going to bring it along - just in case"

✅ avoid attracting attention to your child's change of heart. When they ask for the raincoat don't say "see .. good thing we brought it"
Power struggles always takes two parts - like tug of war. When we decide to put down the rope we don't do so in defeat. But from a place of maturity and wisdom that HOW we resolve disagreements - teaches our child more about cooperation and empathy than does seeking to out muscle

12/09/2025

21/08/2025

One of the reasons we can get stuck in repetitive cycles of shame and blame with our kids -and boys especially- is that we find it hard to offer any alternatives that compete with the dopamine kick provided by gaming.

I don't see it as my motherly duty to provide round the clock entertainment and stimulation- but I do know that I've craved a great alternative to screen time whenever time is up

For my son - this is photography. At least for this summer. Greatly spurred on by the fact that he's been entrusted with his dad's digital Canon SLR camera.

It's coming everywhere with us and I love watching him put his digital skills to good use while being creative and spending time together.

Often, when we help nurture other passions, show trust in their abilities and make them feel needed - balance is a little easier to strike
What works for you?

21/08/2025

Is that they trust us with their tears and their big feelings.
When we can see this in the midst of their meltdown we are more likely to set appropriate limits while comforting - without needing to penalise and blame and shame.

❣️

16/08/2025

Celebrating the man who loves a heartfelt card more than any present. The man who works his socks off to give his family the best life .. and who gives the best hugs (even the kids say so) - the guy I love to fight, love and do life with 💙
Happy birthday my love