Seems like parenting tips are in vogue today! This next post is fresh off the press from Kansas State University. It’s hard to ignore: the tantrum-throwing child at the department store and the stressed-out parent at wit’s end, embarrassed, not sure what to do next.

When children act out in public, parents don’t always know how best to respond, according to Chuck Smith, a Kansas State University child development expert. The proper way to react depends on a number of factors, he said, including the child’s age, the purpose of the public outing and whether the child’s behavior even needs to be corrected. [continue reading…]

According to Larry Nucci, a research psychologist at the Institute of Human Development at the University of California, Berkeley- believes that if you look closely at which rules children obey and which they reject, there are clear patterns to be found. link to continue reading

Source: NPR

The pitfalls of life with a difficult mother The Independent

I to could write a book on this subject. Its 5 years since my mother passed away and only now am I beginning to understanding the complexity of my relationship with her and the coping mechanisms that I developed to negotiate and maintain our relationship. And how it came at great personal cost.

Oh that I could, with my hand on heart, profess not to be “mummy dearest” to my own 4 kids. Fortunately though I have my partner Dr. O, who is on me like a “ton of bricks” whenever I stray too far down that path! This  great article in the Independent  is written by psychologist Dr. Terri Apter whose books on family dynamics, identity and relationships have received international acclaim link to read