by Susie Windle | Jul 8, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills
Disagreements are merely differences of opinion. Since disagreements are unavoidable, the real key to disagreeing is doing it in a way that respects the parties involved. Kids need to learn how to respectfully disagree, and parents have an opportunity to teach this...
by Susie Windle | Jun 10, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Experiencing manageable amounts of anxiety can help a child build coping resources. Excessive amounts of anxiety are another story. When toddlers are routinely exposed to excessive amounts of anxiety, they cannot learn from the stressful situations or tune in to their...
by Susie Windle | May 20, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
As parents and caregivers, we have the opportunity to help children create an open and receptive state of mind rather than a reactive one. Doing this is important because participating as healthy individuals in healthy relationships requires receptivity. Connecting...
by Susie Windle | May 13, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Sensory Information, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
When your toddler can use words to express herself during playtime, a new dimension begins in your relationship because you are both speaking the same language. At times, however, knowing everything that is on your toddler’s mind may feel uncomfortable. For example,...
by Susie Windle | May 6, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Adults can easily forget that kids learn a lot through physical play. Physical play might involve roughhousing, wrestling, climbing, swinging, and running around. All children need this kind of play, and participating in it is one of the ways kids can learn to solve...
by Susie Windle | Apr 29, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Sensory Information, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
A nurturing relationship involves open, honest communication, and that kind of communication involves listening as well as talking. We need to listen to our children. When we listen, really listen, we show our children that we respect them and that we care about their...
by Susie Windle | Apr 22, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Parents: Practice Self Care
Imagine our ancestors moving to the rhythm of the seasons and the sunrise and sunset of each day. Though life for them was tough in some ways, they did have more downtime. Our bodies and minds evolved accustomed to taking some breaks. Now we are in the twenty-first...
by Susie Windle | Apr 8, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, Parents: Practice Self Care, The Importance of Emotions, Your Child's Brain
Thinking clearly is a lot easier if we have a way to keep our emotions in check. Some researchers refer to this as “separation of affect.” This ability to detach from emotions caused by frustration is a skill that allows people to think through solutions to problems...
by Susie Windle | Apr 1, 2015 | Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Importance of Emotions, The Power of Play, Your Child's Brain
Children love it when a parent will play with them, and child-led play builds a strong emotional bond. When children lead parents in play, opioids—the natural chemicals that give us a general sense of well-being—are activated in their brains. Child-led play has been...
by Susie Windle | Mar 25, 2015 | Discipline and Trying Times, Parenting Playbook, Parenting Skills, The Power of Play
It can be hard to understand aggressive play: things like teasing, pretend fighting, mimicking of superheroes, pointing toy or pretend guns, horsing around in a rough-and-tumble way, and dramatizing battles for dominance and power. It can sometimes be difficult to...
