Check out our shared articles and parenting news including responding to big emotions, enabling safety through distress, developmental benefits of messy play and the importance of self care
If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your Child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or email us at connect@tncinc.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
Check out our shared articles and parenting news, including: navigating different parenting styles, fun giving back holiday programs, removing attention for positive behaviour strategies, parenting self-care and the why and how of tantrums.
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If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
Check out our shared articles and parenting news, including: five golden parenting rules; managing screen time; expand your focus on band behaviour.
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If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
Check out our shared articles and parenting news, including: how to stop yelling at your children; transition kids from ‘techno tantrums’; benefits of a positive mindset; avoiding disrespectful behaviour.
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If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
Check out our shared articles and parenting news, including: protecting your child from sexual abuse; dealing with difficult school drop offs; supporting youth mental health; Ryde learning to drive routes.
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If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
When we are feeling stressed, anxious, frustrated, or overwhelmed at being a parent, our minds tend to latch on to all the negatives that are plentiful in our lives. We may start to catastrophize and view small hiccups as major disasters, whilst bigger challenges begin to seem insurmountable. At these times it can be helpful to consciously flick a switch in our brain to turn the light on to the positives that also plentiful, to notice what is working well, to celebrate our successes no matter how small, and to see our child’s strengths alongside their more challenging behaviours.
Being able to flick a switch in this way is not easy and takes practice. Fostering a sense of gratitude in our parenting can help. Research has found gratitude to be associated with better physical and psychological health, along with increased happiness and life satisfaction. In addition it has been found to strengthen relationships, acting like a ‘social glue’ that binds us together, and to inspire people to be more generous, kind and helpful. Being grateful when faced with the big challenges of parenting can be hard however the more you practice it the easier it comes to you when you need it.
The mindful.org website published the following acronym to help parents to find this sense of gratitude in difficult moments. Give it a go, and remember the more you practice the better. It’s just like exercising a muscle.
If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk confidentially with one of our experienced Family Workers.
The school year is well underway and for some young people it was probably a smooth transition back into the school year, with the return of routine and predictability of a school schedule. For others however, it may have been a little rockier and they may not feel like they have settled back into the groove quite yet. Perhaps they aren’t feeling confident with their friendships, or about what is expected from them both at school and home. Or perhaps for those transitioning into high school, they are feeling a little bit lost and wishing for the safety and familiarity that primary school had provided for them. And what about parents and carers? How are you settling in to the new school year? It can be a time of relief that the kids are back at school or a time of worry, as you help your young person navigate their return to school.
As we are almost midway through Term 1, it might be a good time to check in with your child to see how they are doing with their new year of school life. For parents of younger children, this may be as simple as pulling out an activity to do with them; like a board game, cards, colouring/craft activity or heading outside to shoot some hoops or kick a ball around. These types of activities provide a great space to ask about teachers, friends, schoolwork, what are they enjoying or what are they disliking about school. Their responses will help you gauge if there are any concerns you may need to address. Keep in mind that your child might not be able to find the words to describe what is going on for them, so sometimes you have to be a bit of a detective to make sure they are doing okay.
For your older child, getting this kind of conversation started could be more challenging. As children reach their teens they are growing towards more independence and don’t always want to share as much as they did when they were younger. But don’t let this stop you from taking the time to let them know you are there for them or that you are interested in their life. Some teens will still enjoy connecting over a board game or kicking a ball around the park, but for others, you are going to have to get creative with ideas on how to get that resistant teen talking! It may be offering to take them to the local trendy café that has drinks or food that would be totally worth an Instagram post; or engaging in something that is important to them, might be the key. Try asking them what their favourite Meme or TikTok video is that week, or what ones are trending to get the conversation started. Focusing on whatever their interests are is key to connecting.
Once you have built a connection, they are more likely to open up about what is happening for them in their school world. By simply letting them know that you are around to listen or interested in ways to connect and enjoy time together, will help support building your relationship. Though don’t let a check in like this turn into an argument or nagging about a messy bedroom. You are trying to connect and let them know you are there for them, so the best way to do this is to just listen and support.
The idea of checking in with your children at this time of year is really letting them know that as a parent or carer you are there for them, and that you want to be a help if they need it.
If you do have ongoing concerns or questions regarding your child, don’t hesitate to contact the school and speak to the relevant teacher.
As parents, we often know how we would like to respond to the challenges that arise when caring for our child, however, in the heat of the moment we tend to respond in a different way.
Raising a child can be a richly rewarding and fulfilling experience; it can also be exhausting, challenging and stressful. As our stress levels rise we tend to revert to well established automatic patterns of behaviour that don’t always serve the needs of our child, ourselves, or our relationships. Given that we cannot take all the stress out of parenting, it’s important that we take responsibility to equip ourselves with tools and techniques to manage our emotional states and rising stress levels. This can help you to move away from parenting on auto pilot, and to develop the capacity to pause and choose a different response.
Practicing mindfulness can help you learn to focus your attention and become more present to what is actually happening in the ‘here and now’. It can also help you become more aware of your automatic negative reactions and to slow down your reactivity. This then allows you the time and space to choose how you would prefer to respond.
You may still find yourself being triggered at times, however gradually your practice will help train you to notice when you start to lose it more quickly and use your ‘inner pause button’, so then your actions are calm, wise and loving more often. By connecting more deeply with yourself, you in turn connect more deeply with your child and family. More love, less drama.
Developing your capacity to focus your attention and awareness in this way is like exercising a muscle, it takes practice. Whilst finding time in a busy family schedule to commit to a mindfulness practice (or any other stress relieving activity) may seem impossible, the positive impact will far outweigh the time and effort.
You can view further information on how to be a more mindful parent view headspace’s and Australian Childhood Foundation’s resources. Don’t forget to keep an eye on /thenortherncentre Facebook page for information about upcoming parenting workshops.
Christmas Play Dough
What you need:
Method:
7 Benefits of Playing with Play Dough:
Christmas Tree
What you need:
Cut the straws into the shape of your tree.
Then use your glue gun to glue the straws on
the pop stick in the shape of a tree.
Finish the tree shapes.
Enjoy your tree!
If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk with one of our experienced Family Workers in a confidential setting.
Most parents ask the question how they can learn better parenting skills that in turn brings out the best in their child. The following are some tips on how to bring some more order in your home.
Your child needs to understand the specific behaviours that you do and do not want from them. If your child then continues to misbehave, the discipline should be consistent so as to teach them structure. Reiterate to your child why they have been disciplined and if suits ask for an apology.
When your child is being good, be sure to let them know how appreciative you are of their good behaviour. Incentives can also inspire your child to perform tasks more positively and encourage them to behave better more often.
Not constantly focusing on minor behavioural will help alleviate your stress. Ask yourself if it’s worth an argument or fight with your child. Take some time to breath and collect yourself, so you can reassess the situation before taking any action.
If you get too ambitious with your child and keep setting the bar higher, you will create an experience of failure. Break big goals into smaller ones will help you enjoy success more often.
When your child hasn’t had enough sleep or they are stressed, it affects their mood, and impairs both their thinking and emotional skills. Practicing breathing or mindfulness activities can help your child learn how to calm themselves and enjoy a more restful sleep.
If you would like to learn more about understanding and supporting your child’s development, please contact us on 9334 0111 or connect@thenortherncentre.org.au to arrange to talk with one of our experienced Family Workers in a confidential setting.