Are you using grandparents for childcare?

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Childcare is usually at the top of any parent’s mind whether they just need someone to have the children for them to go to an appointment or if it is more permanent for them to go back to work. This is often where grandparents come in. They might offer to help or you might find yourself in the position where you ask them - either way there are a few things to consider when thinking about using grandparents (or indeed friends / other relatives) for childcare.

How do I get my child to do the basic day to day things…like get dressed?

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This is a very common issue that parents face and it can be hugely frustrating and challenging when all you want to do is for your child to get dressed, put their shoes on, brush their teeth and tidy up their toys etc. One of the first things to think about is that when our children are babies, we do everything for them and they have very little input or choice in what happens when. Once our children start to find their voice and have the ability to do things independently, then they want to practice this as much as possible, it is a newfound freedom! This can however be exhausting for us as they are taking a great deal of time to do the simplest of things (which you know you can do in 2 mins!) because they are finding it tricky or just want to keep doing it over and over.

‘Chores’ and pocket money…

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. There is no right or wrong age to start getting children to help out with chores, it is more about what tasks are age appropriate for you to ask them to do. Firstly, I would try to avoid the word ‘chores’ as this can be seen, and felt, as being quite negative and not something your children are likely to approach with a positive attitude. In addition, chores could be seen as things that have to be done in order to get a reward, but many ‘chores’ or tasks are expected and required actions of our children as they develop into responsible adults.

My parents help me with the childcare for my two children. I am very grateful for their help, but I find that they don’t do things as I would like and I don't know how to approach it with them.

Reply from Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. This is a very common situation for many people who have family members providing childcare for them. When we have to raise any issues with those who care for our children it can be tricky, but when it is a family member this adds an additional layer of difficulty. It is understandable that you do not want to upset your parents ultimately you want to maintain a close and special relationship. However, if you don’t raise the issues that you have, this will lead to you becoming more frustrated and only end up causing a more awkward and difficult situation between you all. It is really important that you avoid getting to this stage!

Will experiencing lockdown change our children forever?

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. In these strange and surreal times, we have been and still are facing things that we have never faced before in our lifetimes. Many families have experienced an extremely difficult time in relation to living and working space, finances and family circumstances etc and this is likely to continue as we start to go into some kind of ‘recovery phase’.

We just wanted to take a moment to look at all of the things we are hearing from families about their experiences through the Coronavirus outbreak and what these changes might mean for us and, more importantly, our children, as we come out of it and into our ‘new normal’ - will this experience change our children forever?

Tricky sleeper? Sleep associations – the sleep habits we want to create!

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Is your baby or child tricky to get to sleep at bedtime? Do they have multiple wake ups during the night? Are they difficult to get to nap? If any of these things sound familiar, then this blog is for you!

When supporting parents with their children’s sleep there are lots of aspects that we need to look at including routine, their sleep environment and how you put your little down at bedtime and for naps. These points can often be the key pieces of information we need to look at in order to be able to help solve any sleep issues that you might be experiencing with your child.

Supporting Dads*

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. Very often when babies arrive there is a great deal of focus on Mum and the baby and Dads can often be left on the sidelines. The arrival of a baby can be life changing for any parent and so we need to make sure that we are looking out for Dads at this monumental time. The adjustment for Dads can be significant, and there can be hormonal changes (testosterone, oestrogen, cortisol, and prolactin) in men after their baby arrives which can cause them to have baby blues or postnatal depression. I have worked with many families where I have had to actively encourage Dad to take a more active role and to show how important a role he has to play in his baby’s life. We don’t want Dads to be on the sidelines, we want them to feel valued and empowered in their new role.

When our children get older...

Written by Claire Burgess, Family Consultant. There is a wealth of information out there to support babies, toddler and pre-school children, but once they are over the age of 5 the information tends to be more limited and is often focused on school related topics.

Just because our children are getting older, it doesn’t mean that parenting gets easier or that you will have all the answers to the new phases and stages that your child might be going through. It can be challenging and sometimes make you feel like you are having to use guess work to get through it.

Getting to know... Natalie Costa, Creator of Power Thoughts

Natalie Costa (@powerthoughtsnc on Instagram powerthoughts.co.uk) Power Thoughts is a teaching, coaching and mindfulness based service which is aimed at empowering children to tap into the ‘power’ of their minds. Children are taught how to become confident, resilient and robust, developing a ‘can-do’ attitude that allows them to flourish both in and out of the classroom setting.

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