Parent 4 Success

To many parents, "gentle parenting" sounds like a nice idea in theory but unrealistic in practice 👨‍👧

After all, if you don't set clear boundaries, how can you expect your kids not to walk all over you?

Well, it's important to note here that gentle parenting doesn't mean PERMISSIVE parenting 🙅‍♀️

Gentle parenting doesn't mean never saying "no". It simply means being authoritative in a way that is both firm and kind.

To learn more about the difference, check out the article below!

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/on-babies/202405/gentle-parenting-doesnt-mean-permissive-parenting

Gentle Parenting Doesn't Mean Permissive Parenting Gentle parenting is not permissive. It is an authoritative style—a balanced approach that is both firm and kind and makes space for healthy, age-appropriate emotional expression.

Is your child struggling with anxiety? 😥

If so, check out my 3 top tips to help them below:

How Can You Deal With An Anxious Child? (Raising Children #23) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Children #23. How Can You Deal With An Anxious Child?Simple, effective ideas to help your child deal with anxie...

Should you let your teenage children go interrailing? 🗺️📍

This is the question on every parents' lips this week after Kirstie Allsopp received backlash for allowing her 15-year-old son to go interrailing across Europe unsupervised.

In this article from The Guardian, several parents share their POVs.

What's your take?

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/article/2024/aug/26/should-we-allow-our-children-to-travel-without-adults

Should we allow our children to travel without adults? | Letters Letters: Readers respond to the news of Kirstie Allsopp being reported to social services after letting her son travel around Europe aged 15, and share their experiences

I'll be on at 10.40 speaking about how much independence to allow our children, after there was a backlash when Kirstie Allsopp allowed her 15 year old to go inter-railing around Europe for 3 weeks.

Kirstie Allsopp catches heat for allowing son, 15, to travel around Europe The star defended her decision to let him travel.

Looking for some healthy lunchtime recipes for you and/or your kids? 🥗🍲🍛

The importance of good nutrition for children cannot be overstated, but it's equally important that parents eat a well-balanced diet too. (Be honest: how many of you reach for a bag of crisps or a chocolate bar on manic days?)

Believe me, I've been there!

Next time, why not try one of these 70 great recipes from Good Housekeeping? 🍎

https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/food-recipes/healthy/g960/healthy-lunch-ideas/

70 Healthy Lunch Ideas You’ll Actually Be Excited to Try Is it noon yet?

Running out of ideas on how to calm your angry child down? 😡💆‍♀️

Here are 7 more to add to your arsenal:

https://www.parent4success.com/resources/7-ways-to-teach-your-angry-child-to-calm-down/

7 ways to teach your angry child to calm down - Parent 4 Success Self-soothing is a vital skill for your child. Particularly after an angry outburst. Here are 7 effective ways to teach your child to calm down.

Do your teenagers/young adults spend a worrying amount of time at home/in their bedrooms? 🛌🎧🎮

If so, they're not the only ones. In fact, so many young people are now cutting back on going out that they've earned the nickname "generation stay-at-home."

But what's behind it? Well, it turns out, the answer is complicated:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2024/feb/10/meet-generation-stay-at-home-dont-pay-to-go-clubbing-watch-it-at-home-on-your-phone

Meet generation stay-at-home: ‘You don’t need to pay to go clubbing: you can sit at home and watch it on your phone’ Why have so many teens and twentysomethings stopped going out?

Quick reminder that my inbox is open! 📬

If you have any parenting concerns or questions, I can always be reached by DM.

Where do you stand on ? 📱

“Sharenting” refers to the act of digital oversharing, of excessively posting information, pictures, stories or updates about your child's life.

While parents often have good intentions when posting their child online, some types of social media sharing can have unintended consequences for a child's privacy, safety, mental health, and can even put a strain on the parent-child relationship.

Article from Parents

https://www.parents.com/sharenting-8678932

What Parents Should Know Before Posting Their Child Online Most parents are comfortable with sharing images and videos of their children online. However, sharenting, as this practice is known, can be dangerous—and can even inflict emotional damage on your kids. Here's what you need to know.

Disciplining kids is one thing, but how exactly do you discipline teenagers? 👩‍⚖️

Watch this video for my top tips:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOHQWFz3dBY&ab_channel=ElizabethO%27Shea

Do You Wish You Knew How to Discipline Your Teenager? (Raising Teenagers #4) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Teenagers #4. Do You Wish You Knew How to Discipline Your Teenager? What are the best ways to help teenagers le...

Which parenting trend do you hate most? 🙄

Upworthy asked parents and got these spot-on responses:

📹 Stage-mum syndrome: "Abusing the talents of your child just to boost your self image in society."

📱 Tablet addiction: "Constantly giving your kid(s) a tablet or cellphone to keep them busy because you can't be bothered to actually be a parent or pay attention to them."

Check out the rest of the article below!

https://www.upworthy.com/people-are-sharing-the-parenting-trends-that-absolutely-need-to-end-now-rp5

People are sharing the parenting trends that absolutely ‘need to end now’ Here are 21 of the best responses.

Been to the cinema recently? 🎦

If you didn't already know, Pixar's Inside Out 2 just became the fastest animated movie of all time to reach $1 billion at the worldwide Box Office 💰

It also received an impressive "A" grade from Cinemascore, which measures audience reactions.

Get yourselves down there! 👨‍👧🍿

Benign parenting 💆‍♀️

The Swiss style of parenting—

Wait, what? Benign!?

What does this new parenting buzzword mean, and can we really parent our children from the passenger seat?

The new parenting buzz word: Benign neglect. What is it and should you be wary? The Swiss style of parenting advocates a more hands-off approach to nurture independence

Happy hump day everyone! 🐪

Today I wanted to talk abou–
"Mum!" 🗣️

Excuse me, today I wanted to–
"Muuum!" 🗣️🗣️

*cough cough*, today I–
"MUM!" 🗣️🗣️🗣️

Today's topic? See for yourself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlWD_3O0N5I&ab_channel=ElizabethO%27Shea

How Can You Teach Your Toddler Not To Interrupt When You’re Talking? (Raising Toddlers #25) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Toddlers #25. How Can You Teach Your Toddler Not To Interrupt When You’re Talking?Simple ways to get a toddler ...

Struggling to get your kids to do things they do want to do? 😫

Try giving them something I'm calling the…

🌈✨ Illusion of Choice ✨🌈

For example...

👟 “Do you want to tie your shoelaces yourself or should mummy help you?”

🛁 “Who do you want to wash your hair tonight, mummy or daddy?”

🛏️ “It's time for bed. How do you want to get there? A piggy back ride or on daddy’s shoulders?”

When you give kids the illusion of choice, they won't feel like they're being instructed or bossed around. Simple!

Ask any parent of a child with disabilities and/or neurodivergence and they'll tell you the same thing: the job comes with its own unique challenges, joys, and adventures 🫂❤️

Parents will also tell you that it can be a lonely experience at times, especially when other parents don't share the same struggles. But remember, you're not alone!

In this article, hear from celebrities who have opened up about raising kids with disabilities, including Joel McHale, Usher, Brendan Fraser, Rosie O'Donnell, John Travolta, and more:

https://www.sheknows.com/parenting/slideshow/2456075/celebrity-parents-kids-with-disabilities/1/

Joel McHale, Brendan Fraser, Victoria Beckham, & Other Celeb Parents Who Have Opened Up About Raising Kids With Disabilities These celebrity parents are sharing their children's stories so other families don't feel so alone.

Is your child's night time routine turning your evenings into a nightmare? 😩

Make this weekend the one where you learn how to get them in bed on time (and to stay there) for good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFMyKdqVOyA

How Do You Get Your Child To Go To Bed On Time And Stay There? (Raising Children #7) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Children #7. How do you get your child to go to bed on time and stay there?What is the secret of helping your c...

Who's excited for Deadpool & Wolverine next month? 🦸🐺

While it's no secret that the film's leading stars can teach us lots about kicking ass, did you know that they also have some kick-ass parenting advice too?

Read the story below! ⬇️

https://people.com/ryan-reynolds-shares-really-important-parenting-tip-he-uses-with-his-kids-8656791

Ryan Reynolds Shares ‘Really Important’ Parenting Tip That Impacts What He Tells His Four Kids (Exclusive) Ryan Reynolds opens up about a "really important" parenting tip that has stuck with him as raises his four kids. The 'Deadpool & Wolverine' star shares his kids with wife Blake Lively.

How to parent in the digital age is one of the questions I get asked most, and though there's no one way to do it, there are some definite do's and don'ts that every parent should know.

Here's a handy list from GritDaily.com 📱

https://gritdaily.com/tips-for-parenting-in-the-digital-age/

13 Tips for Parenting in the Digital Age - Grit Daily News In the digital age, guiding children to become responsible digital citizens has never been more crucial. We've gathered insights from educators and tech-savvy

Remember yesterday's post about being repeatedly thrown off a cliff by someone you loved? (Yeah, not something I thought I'd be typing today either...) 😵‍💫

Well, though the comparison may seem extreme, it was actually an analogy for toddlers and HAIR WASHING 🚿🫧

Confused? Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHfMz19GpUY&ab_channel=ElizabethO%27Shea

What Can You Do If Your Toddler Hates Hair-washing? (Raising Toddlers #24) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Toddlers #24. What Can You Do If Your Toddler Hates Hair-washing?If your toddler cries and screams every time y...

“Imagine if you were petrified of heights, and every day, someone you loved threw you off a cliff, despite your screams and upset, you’d begin to understand…”

WHAT? 🤔

(Answer revealed tomorrow)

How about a throwback to start the week? 🕰️ ⏮️

I filmed this video 12 years ago, where I reveal the first of my top 20 parenting tips.

Want to know the remaining 19? Send me a message for the full list ☕️

Tip 1 of my Top 20 Parenting Tips by Elizabeth O'Shea Love your child unconditionally and accept them for who they are.Visit www.parent4success.com for my FREE e-book: Top 20 Parenting Tips

Toddlers don’t always use words, but they are always speaking to us. Are you listening? 👂

Credit: on Instagram 📷

What's the single most important thing you can do for your kids? 🤔

Turns out The Beatles said it best — all you need is love ❤️

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/04/parenting-anxiety-happiness-children/677960/

The One Big Thing You Can Do for Your Kids The research shows that you probably have less effect on your kids than you think—with one major exception: Your love will make them happy.

Are you doing enough to make your child feel loved? 🥰

Watch this video to find out:

How Can You Make Sure Your Child Feels Loved? (Raising Children #24) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Children #24. How Can You Make Sure Your Child Feels Loved?Ways to make your child feel special, and raise self...

Wishing all you parents a great sleep — you've earned it! 😴

Image credit: Casper 🛏️

Does your toddler keep hitting? 🤜💢

First of all, don't worry! It is very normal for a child who is 2 or 3 years old to start hitting or biting to express frustration or to get something they want.

But how can you get them to stop, and express their frustration in a healthier way? Watch this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGPbdO6ITHE&ab_channel=ElizabethO%27Shea

How Can You Stop Your Toddler Hitting? (Raising Toddlers #7) www.parent4success.com Video Tips for Raising Toddlers #7. How can you stop your toddler hitting? What should you do to prevent hitting? And how should you ...

Summer is right around the corner, but parts of the UK are in for yet another rainy weekend this weekend 🌧️👎

Forecast not looking good where you are? Check out these ideas to keep your kids entertained, including:

🧑‍🍳 Cook a meal from scratch
💸 Teach them how to manage their money
🖼️ Make painted pasta frames
🎲 Play board games, or design your own
🪡 Do some simple mending of clothes

https://www.parent4success.com/what-can-you-do-with-your-child-when-its-raining-video-tips-for-raising-children-5/

What to do with your child when it’s raining | Parent 4 Success Do you struggle to entertain your child when it’s raining? Here are great things to do with your child indoors on a rainy day.

"We often have as much in common with strangers as our relatives, according to studies – so why do we still love to say our children are like us?" 🤔

Check out this interesting perspective on nature vs. nurture from The Guardian that may just be "a baby step towards relinquishing years of parenting guilt."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/28/learned-from-20-years-parenting-never-underestimate-how-wrong

What have I learned from 20 years of parenting? Never to underestimate how wrong I can be | Emma Beddington We often have as much in common with strangers as our relatives, according to studies – so why do we still love to say our children are like us, asks Emma Beddington

"Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded." — Jess Lair