Parenting with PLAY!

How to make travelling much easier when you have a baby or a child. Travelling long distances on planes, trains or in your car doesn't have to be super stressful. Discover what practical things you can do to make it more enjoyable for you and your child. If you'd like to learn how to incorporate more PLAY into your parenting, join me for my online Playful Discipline Workshop - it's FREE! And if yo...

What do you tell yourself when your child is having a tantrum? That you're a bad mum That you've done something wrong - That there's something wrong with your child That they're being ridiculous If they're like this now, what are they going to be like when they're a teenager Is it always going to be this hard? Why does it have to be like this? Your mental chatter can be exhausting! This episode is...

With lockdowns being extended in Melbourne & Sydney as well as other parts of Australia, it's important we figure out the best way to help our children with their school work. This episode is going to help you to do just that. Whilst lockdown parenting is nothing like normal homeschooling, in this episode I'm joined by Joss Goulden, an Aware Parenting Instructor who has homeschooled her childr...

As much as I hate to say this, lockdowns seem to be a part of our lives now. As the rest of the world opens up, here in Australia we're still in them. And there's a high possibility of lockdowns coming back in the Northern Hemisphere's winter... Mental health issues, particularly for teens, are soaring. And whilst you can feel hopeless that you can't control what's going on in the outside world, t...

I know it may not seem like it, but your children do not want to fight each other. They want to get along with each other. But there are times when it's really hard for them to do that. Their upset feelings take over and they lash out. Discover how you can help your children at a deep, emotional level which really shifts how they feel and how they behave in this fantastic conversation with Belynda...

Sending your child to daycare is a big time for both of you. So what do you need to look for in a centre and how do you help your child adjust to being away from you? In this episode I interview Steph Fleeton, an Early Childhood Educator, Aware Parenting Instructor who runs a Family Day Care, to give you these answers. About Steph Steph Fleeton is an Aware Parenting Instructor, Parenting Support C...

Physical play helps to build your child's physical and emotional confidence. So be inspired with playful ideas for more high-energy, rough and tumble play with your kids with Stacy Wilson, a fellow Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor & Primary School Teacher. This type of play is perfect for bedtimes, transitions between separated parents, offloading frustrations & emotional upsets and so mu...

Getting your child's school report can be exciting and affirming, or it can be stressful and demoralising. So in this episode I offer you ways to best manage your reactions and responses if you are disappointed or worried about your child's report. When you do this, you'll be you'll be calmer & less stressed, and so in a much better position to then support your child with whatever, if anythin...

Be inspired with silliness and discover ways to be playful with your kids from toddlers to teens. With Chiara Rossetti, Aware Parenting Instructor You are going to LOVE this episode! So much fun & silliness with the fabulous Chiara Rossetti who's an Aware Parenting Instructor with 2 teenage children. She is amazing at bringing play to all situations and you'll be able to see how you, too, can...

How are mealtimes in your family? Fun & easy? Or a battleground?! If you're struggling to help your child eat normal, healthy food and you're using TV to distract them, or offering the reward of pudding / dessert, or any forms of coercion, then this episode will help. Find out how to use play to transform mealtimes and help your child eat well both now and in the future. To discover how play a...

How do you feel about listening to your baby or child cry with you? Hear how one mum felt and the transformation she experienced with her baby In this interview with Vivien, she shares the impact Aware Parenting has had on her 13 month old daughter Nina especially around bedtimes, nappy changes, starting daycare and life in general. She shares how their relationship has deepened and how she, as a...

Do you co-sleep with your baby or child? If so, are you confident or embarrassed about it? If you don't co-sleep, but you think you'd might like to, what's your concerns about it? Are you worried that your child needs to become an independent sleeper by a certain age, or when you go back to work, or they start day care? This episode is to let you know that co-sleeping is such a beneficial and enjo...

It's horrible seeing your baby or child upset, especially when they've hurt themselves. So you can think you're doing the right thing by distracting them from the pain or the upset: "You're OK" "It's only a scratch / small bump" "Brush it off" "You're such a brave boy/girl" "Do you want a chocolate to cheer you up?" It's completely understandable that you do - of course you don't want your them to...

It's heartbreaking when your child struggles to start or return to school. There's so much pressure on them to behave, learn, make friends and deal with new surroundings and it can all be overwhelming for them. It's a big time for them AND for you. So how can you best prepare and support them during this significant transition, and help them with their anxieties? In this episode, Shelley Clarke sh...

It can be super frustrating and bewildering when your child is being aggressive. Especially when you’re not modelling that behaviour and you’ve told them many times that it’s not kind, or to be gentle. So what’s going on for your child to causes them be aggressive? And what can you do about it? FREE GUIDE: Shout Less & Connect More with 5 SIMPLE Games! Download today: https://parentingwithplay...

Things are going to inevitably happen to your child that are going to upset, frustrate, annoy and disappoint them. So how do you help them to become more resilient in the face of challenges? Your job as a parent is not to prevent everyday disappointments or hurts - that's just not possible or actually helpful for your child. Instead, your role is to help them cope with them in a way that's going t...

You know how this approach can help you with your children. But how about in the workplace? In this week's podcast episode, I chat with Caroline Ryan about how Aware Parenting / Parenting by Connection not only helped with her children, but also with her colleagues too. If your baby is under 1, doors to Aware Parenting Babies online program are now open! If you want more support with your children...

When your baby cries it can feel really stressful and most people do everything possible to stop their tears. But is that the best way to help them? And how does it impact their ability to sleep well? High School Teacher, Jenna Bujaroski, shares how she has helped her children when they've cried & tantrumed and how she sees the benefit of this approach for teenagers too.

How are bedtimes for you? Are you focusing on finding the right routine & creating the perfect environment, thinking that that's the answer to better bedtimes for your baby or child? In this episode you'll discover that it's not the external factors that ensure your baby or child sleep better. Instead it's about focusing on how your child is - what's going on for them, and helping them with th...

Does your child get overwhelmed in certain situations, or struggles with certain items of clothings or sounds? If so, chances are your child is experiencing some form of sensory overload or sensitivity. So how can you help them to process it well, to come back into balance, and to return to calm state? And how can you use play to do so? Shelley Clarke is a physiotherapist, a Cranial Sacral Therapi...

Does your partner parent differently to you? Does it really annoy you?! Parenting can become a huge source of conflict within a relationship. It's super easy to find fault in what your partner does or doesn't do and berate them in not doing things 'right'. So listen in for ways on how can you navigate those challenges and bring more harmony to your relationship & family. FREE GUIDE: Shout Less...

How are you feeling about coming out of Lockdown? Delighted? Anxious? How are your kids feeling about it? After spending the past weeks at home, telling your children that they can't go to school or day care, play in the local playground, see friends or Grandparents, etc, now you're telling them that it's time to go back out again and that there will be restrictions. Plus, maybe your child has enj...

Do you ever wonder why your child does the things they do? Why they are fine one minute, and then hitting their sibling the next. Why they come home and kick the dog. Why they refuse to do what you ask them to do something they were happy to do the day before. It can sometimes seem to be a mystery. Or it can be proof that they need more discipline - to learn what's acceptable behaviour and what's...

I want you to know how amazing you are. I want you to know that everything you do as a mum is incredibly important and valuable - for your family, for yourself and for the world in general. I want you to celebrate yourself. Don't wait for others to acknowledge you. Start celebrating yourself, because you're amazing (and yes, I know you shout at your kids & get frustrated with them and aren't '...

Would you describe your child as 'strong willed'? Probably! Children have an innate desire for self-autonomy - to do what they want & be how they want to be. Which is fantastic for later in life as they're needing to make decisions out in the world, but it means they can be very hard to live with as their parent! So how can you help your child to retain their valuable sense of who they are and...