Parenting with joy and flexibility.
I’m delighted to add new resources to my website: the self-compassion videos and tip sheet from the Mothercare studies. The Mothercare resources are for mothers of babies and they were developed by Dr James Kirby and Dr Stanley Steindl. They have been used in two studies, one a micro-RCT. In the RCT we found benefits […]
To me, one of the most wondrous aspects of parental love is the sheer unconditionality of it. We fall madly in love with our children before we even know, in any real sense, who our children are. Parental love is wide open, spacious and infinitely curious to discover. It can be tempting, oh so tempting, […]
There is a classic Star Trek episode (The Enemy Within) in which a transporter malfunction causes Captain Kirk to split into two- a good Kirk and a bad Kirk. With all the darker aspects of his nature distilled out into a separate being, the good Kirk is unable to function. He is weak-willed, indecisive, and […]
Many parents feel bombarded by unwelcome criticism and judgment, from family, friends, professionals, even society at large. How can you learn to cope with criticism without destroying your own confidence or damaging your relationships with others? Firstly, remember that you are the parent. Whatever roles other people have in your child’s life, you are the […]
Everybody makes mistakes. Every parent makes mistakes. And they aren’t always little ones. So, how do you recover and move on when you recognise that you’ve stuffed up? Start by treating yourself with compassion. Recognise that you aren’t alone. You are an imperfect human being, just like the rest of us and we all stuff […]
So, here’s a confession: I have a nasty voice in my head. On a good day, the voice is just a bit picky and pushy, pointing out my mistakes and generally taking a pessimistic view of life. At its worst the voice is an out and out bully! And gosh, is she loud whenever something […]
Check out my new article on the Conversation, written with the lovely Dr Amy Mitchell, on the shaming of new mothers and why it needs to end: The Shame Game And don’t forget to also check out the MotherCare project. We are currently recruiting mothers of children aged under two.
Experiential acceptance, the ability to sit with difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations and memories, as they arise in the lived present moment, is a cornerstone of the latest psychological therapies such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Sometimes, within ACT, experiential acceptance is described as willingness, as in willingness to have difficult thoughts, feelings, sensations and […]
I’m currently participating in a series of podcast interviews with Nicky from Practical Research Parenting. The current podcast focuses on the transition to motherhood, drawing from my book Becoming Mum. Access the podcast here: Podcast Becoming a Mother
I’m currently participating in a series of podcast interviews with Nicky from Practical Research Parenting. Part two of Angry Parents is up! To access this second podcast click here: Angry Parents Part Two