Parents may use behavioural parenting strategies such as logical consequences or praise, but use them from a standpoint of dispensing justice. They may even take a punitive approach, believing that if a child has done the wrong thing then they deserve to be punished, to suffer for their wrong doing. Or they may simply believe […]
The instinct to suck is present moments after birth and plays a crucial role in supporting babies’ early growth and development. Like sexual behaviour, sucking has a predictable developmental trajectory. It is strongest in infancy and gradually fades as children age. There are individual differences in the degree to which children suck and how the […]
It frustrates me when I hear parental responsiveness being discussed as if responsiveness were a matter of following specific rules. This can make parents feel confused and guilty and it just isn’t correct. It also suggests that all responsive parent-child relationships look the same, when in fact, responsiveness is flexible and creative. Responsiveness is, by […]
Hooray! At long last Becoming Mum is officially available as an ebook. It is available in all the major formats: Amazon, Google, Apple, Kobo and Nook. Becoming Mum is, of course, still available as a paperback. You can purchase the paperback directly through the Becoming Mum website or via your usual online retailer such as Amazon, the Book Depository or Angus and Robertson. […]
To choose to have children is to accept the challenge of finding, within yourself, unconditional love. It is the challenge of accepting into your heart someone who could be anyone. It is the challenge of loving fully someone you could lose. Your children may come easily and quickly, or unexpectedly, or slowly and painfully and […]
It infuriates me the number of times I’ve heard people express in public discourse that parenting is ‘a lifestyle choice’. The implication is, of course, that parents have no right to expect consideration, adjustments or support from society as a whole and that non-parents have no obligation to make financial contributions, through taxes, to support […]
One of my Lecturers during my clinical training at UQ, Prof Tian Oei, told us this joke. A company was struggling with productivity. Nothing they tried could fix the problem. It was looking like their factory would have to be closed. They called in an expert consultant to help fix the problem. The consultant toured […]
‘It’s not who you’ve known, but who you’re knowing’ Who are you ‘knowing’? Who do you spend time listening to? Who do you make efforts to understand? Who do you treasure learning little details about? Who are you aware of? Who are you insightful about? Who do you share living with? Work colleagues, acquaintances, celebrities, […]
Responsive parenting series part 3 This post is the third of a three part series on responsive parenting. Responsive parenting, in a nutshell, means parenting that is responsive to the signals or cues of your child. It is warm, caring and on cue. Responsiveness is often understood within an attachment theory framework (responsive parenting predicts […]
Responsive parenting series part 2 This post is the second of a three part series on responsive parenting. Responsive parenting, in a nutshell, means parenting that is responsive to the signals or cues of your child. It is warm, caring and on cue. Responsiveness is often understood within an attachment theory framework (responsive parenting predicts […]