Parenting an active child can be quite the challenge. Keeping up with them (particularly if you have another baby on the way), keeping them entertained and keeping your home in one piece all become daily battles. But above all, the biggest challenge, is dealing with the disapproving looks and comments from others. The thing about "spirited" children is that they don't stop: they are constantly whizzing about, on to the [...]
Cool-headed, farseeing, visionary, courageous - whichever adjectives you choose, to be a great leader is a winning combination of personal traits and the ability to think and act as a great leader, a person who directs the activities of others for the good of all. Effective business leadership demands a captain of the ship, not just someone who's standing by the helm. A great leader is active, not passive. One [...]
For most parents, breaking the news to their child that they are going to have a new baby sibling is a time of joy. And for some children, the idea that they will soon have a new baby sibling to play with fills them with excited anticipation. They love to wear their 'I'm going to be a big brother/sister' t-shirt with pride. by Jo Hartley But that's not the case [...]
In a recent article I wrote in Wedding Know How magazine I explain what we experience after 'Me' becomes a 'We' after marriage. Planning a marriage and future together is exciting. Getting to know all in-law family on a deeper level is extraordinary and taking steps towards those impending decisions can be sensational. This is one of the most exciting times of your life, creating your brand new family. Even [...]
Date Nights http://www.theglow.com.au/relationship-2/importance-of-date-night-for-parents/ It’s arguably the best part of a fledgling relationship, yet making making time to go on a date night can so easily fall by the wayside once you've been together for a while, or once kids are on the scene. Just ask Aussie model Megan Gale and partner, AFL player Shaun Hampson. Their secret to keeping their relationship steady? Making time for dates. “We do it quite often,” the 39-year-old actress [...]
Children should be learning how to act more appropriate and just stop saying sorry when they do something inappropriate. I have been involved in pre and primary school education and Counselling children for almost two decades. One of the things I am asked by parents and teachers is how they should deal with discipline. At schools I sometimes see concerning displays. When a child, the perpetrator, does something to another child, [...]
Will Your Divorce Cause You a Heart attack? I was really surprised to read a report about how heart attacks are linked to divorce. Men and women can respond to divorce differently, but heart health is very similar. Heart attacks linked to divorce? We all know how stressful divorce can be but did you know how bad it is for the health of your heart not only emotionally but also physically. [...]
My Adult Kids are Back Home - Again !!! It is becoming more common for adult children to return to live at home and they are likely to partly depend on their parents financially. We call them our new generation of Boomerang Children. The major reasons our kids decide to return home include: Support, security and the company of their parents. Cheaper, so they can save for their future. Services [...]
What happens when I don't like my friend's child? Recent article in Essential Kids by Jo Hartley - a good read in case you have or are in the same position as many or us seem to be. We all know how much friendships can change when we have children. We migrate towards like-minded individuals - usually with children the same age as ours - and we tend to bond deeper with [...]
What's more important than the kids in any family? I do a lot of Couple Counselling due to a number of presenting issues and many communication problems. When I ask the couple who is the most important people in your family relationship, in other words, what's more important than the kids? The common answer I receive is either ‘the kids’ , sometimes I also get ‘us and the kids’. The [...]
Research shows the first year of wedded bliss is the most challenging and it all comes down to financial stress. Simply put - Financial transparency is essential for a happy relationship. A joint study by Deakin University's Australian Centre for Quality of Life and Australian Unity found those married for less than a year are the least happiest of all married couples. If couples can work through this difficult initial [...]
Our Children are Growing Fatter... Who is responsible for our overweight children? We all know and recognise that many of our children are becoming fatter. We know the health problems this causes and the issues in regards to bullying and self-esteem problems our children suffer as a result. In Australia, one in five children are either overweight or obese. From 1985 to 1995 the number of overweight 7–15 year olds [...]
