Ideas for One-on-One Time With Your Kids
One-on-one time with your kids is a great way to strengthen your relationship and create lasting memories. Spending time together doing activities that you both enjoy can be a fun and rewarding experience. In this blog, we will explore a range of activities you can do...
How to Connect With Your Teen
Your child may be entering adolescence or already fully submerged in it. Around this age, you may notice that the relationship between you and your child has changed. Staying connected to your kids can be challenging during their teens. They may spend more time with...
The Importance of a Healthy Sleep Schedule for Kids
Getting enough sleep is very important for your health and well-being. It can help you recover from illness, maintain a healthy immune system, and improve memory and other skills. Having a good night's sleep also benefits children by allowing them to heal and grow....
Tips for Eliminating Your Kids’ Boredom
It can be distressing to hear your child say they're bored and have nothing to do. This is something that both parents and children can learn to manage. There are a few creative ideas that you can try, but it’s likely you’re probably juggling having to finish up your...
Getting Your Kids to Brush Their Teeth
One of the essential life skills kids need to learn is how to brush their teeth. Getting them to practice this habit for two minutes a day is a small step, but it can help them maintain their long-term health. If brushing your child's teeth has become a daily battle,...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Improving Communication With Your Kids
If you have kids, it’s only natural that you’re going to talk with them. Ask how their day was, how their friends are doing, how they like school, and so on. However, sometimes, you may find that something’s off with them, whether that’s something at school or just...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Knowing When Your Kids Are Ready for a Family Pet
A hallmark of being a kid is begging parents for a pet. With the promises of doing everything needed to take care of Fido and all of the chores for the rest of forever, you may feel your resolve whittling away bit by bit. However, something’s at the forefront of your...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Talking to Kids About Tragedy
When something tragic happens, it’s natural to feel like you’re scared and not in control. You may barely understand what happened, much less be able to process it in the presence of other people. It’s often worse for children. Your children may feel helpless, not...
Dr Lachlan Soper on What Is Positive Parenting?
To say the least, parenting can be extremely challenging. No matter how many tips and advice you receive from friends or family, parenting is not an easy feat. Luckily, there are now numerous research-supported tools and strategies that parents can utilize. Dealing...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Helping Your Child With Their Anxiety
Having an anxious child can certainly come with its challenges, but it’s important to help your child with their anxiety. When left untreated, their anxiety can impact both their physical and emotional health. This can cause long term effects well into their...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Tips for More Grateful Kids
In this day and age, many have come accustomed to getting what they want when they want it––especially children. Almost every parent today has dealt with their children throwing a tantrum over limited screen time or not having their own high-tech devices to...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Connecting With Your Child On Their Level
It is said that actions speak louder than words - and that is certainly true when it comes to connecting with (and teaching) your children. Children learn so much from the time they spend with their parents. This time includes everything from playtime to discipline. ...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Why Father’s Shouldn’t Be Considered “Helpers” or “Co-parents”
There can be many unhelpful stereotypes that come with parenting. One of the biggest is the belief that fathers are ‘helpers,’ ‘babysitters,’ or ‘co-parents.’ These terms and assumptions can be harmful, as they leave the impression that fathers aren’t primary parents...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Nurturing Creativity in Kids
The world can be a magical place for children. While it can seem like some children are born with naturally imaginative minds, creativity is something that can also be taught and nurtured. Parents can create an environment that encourages creative thinking and skills....
Dr Lachlan Soper on Helping Your Children Through Bullying
As a parent, we want to protect our children from anything we can. Because we can’t be every place they go, it’s impossible to ensure they never get hurt. If something does happen when they’re not in our care, we often do anything to heal the pain they suffered. But...
Dr Lachlan Soper on Minimising Kids’ Tantrums
Temper tantrums come with the territory of parenting. Whether a parent feels they have a well-behaved child or not, a tantrum is inevitable. Children are often faced with new emotions everyday that can be overwhelming and difficult to cope with. Whether this emotion...
Improving Family Communications
One of the key factors to having a loving and happy home is communication. As a parent, sometimes it can be difficult to determine if you and your family have effectively communicated. It’s normal to question whether you’ve done the job well or not. Luckily, there are...
How to Parent Strong-willed Children
Every child will have their own unique personality. Some will be shy, some outgoing, some quiet and reflective and others are very strong-willed. Raising a strong-willed child can come with its own set of challenges to go with their very headstrong personality....
Key Habits for Raising Successful Children
Any parent would want their child to be successful in life, but it takes time and effort. Wishing for your child to be successful will only get you so far. It’s essential to nurture and nudge them in the right direction so they may one day grow to be successful...
The Psychological Effects of Calling Children ‘Mature for Their Age’
Parents often love praising their children and giving them compliments. But is there an unhelpful way to compliment your children? What we say to our children as parents can have a huge impact on their psychological development from childhood all the way into...
How to Spark Your Child’s Independence
As the authority in their life, children will look to their parents most of the time for guidance and comfort. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with a child depending on you, it’s also important they learn how to be independent. They will carry this...
How to Stop Your Child’s Tantrums Before They Start
One of the biggest realities we face as parents are that our children might not always be the “angels” we see them as. Realistically, there will be times of pouting, crying, kicking, and screaming. When you’re faced with a child’s tantrum, it’s easy to feel at a loss...
Parenting Mistakes to Avoid With Teens
Being a parent is not the easiest job out there - and it can become infinitely more complex as children turn into teenagers. There are few relationships more complicated than the one that parents and teens share. It’s vital that parents set boundaries, help form...
A Guide to Children’s Rumbling
While it may be hard to believe, rumbling is an essential part of growing up for children. It is a way for kids to reduce stress, have fun, bond with playmates, siblings and parents, and even build self-esteem. Unfortunately, it can also sometimes be loud and...
How Parenting Expectations Can Be Damaging
Children don’t come out of Mummy’s tummy with a step-by-step instruction manual. As parents we all learn on the job, every day. We make mistakes and God-willing we learn, adapt and improve. Every parent is going to have their own way of raising their child. When it...
Breaking Your Child’s Bad Habits
Bad habits are hard to break, especially for children. As a parent, eliminating them can be a challenge. Whether it’s leaving their toys on the stairs, sucking on their thumb, biting their nails, or phone addiction, it’s important to put a stop to these patterns. Many...
Encouraging Your Child to Never Give Up
Many parents can get caught up in not wanting to push their children too hard in fear that they will one day resent them. However, it is this way of thinking that can easily could lead to raising a child that gives up easily quitter. An important skill for children to...
Fostering Gratitude in Children (and Ourselves)
1. Seek gratitude ourselves It was once said to me “gratitude shapes your attitude”. It is easy to dwell on our struggles, we all do it - a difficult day at work, children who have had a ratty day, job losses, relationship difficulties… and the list goes on. But...
The Benefits of Boundaries in Parenting
Some believe that setting boundaries for children will hold them back from creativity, innovation, and discovering themselves. On the contrary, studies have shown that children need a clear understanding of what’s safe and acceptable for them to grow and flourish. As...
The Power of Words
When people are frustrated, the go-to emotion is to verbally put others down. What happens when someone's favourite football team massively capitulates at the end of the match, or their neighbours are again loudly arguing late at night, or our political leaders...
Why to Never Live Vicariously Through Your Children
While certain universal principles apply to all children, no two are alike, and it’s a mistake to treat them as if they were. When raising a child. It’s essential to not live vicariously through them. Whatever you weren’t able to do in your own life or things you were...
Teaching Kids About Consent
Consent is first and foremost about giving permission for something to happen or agreeing to something. Society has become wiser over recent decades about boundaries - child protection and adult relationships are just two such areas. Teaching our children that their...
Some Parenting Resolutions for 2021
The start of a new year is a great time to think about what you’d like to achieve for yourself and your family and the things that you’d like to encourage your kids to do. Here are some ideas to make 2021 more rewarding for your family. 1. Minimise the screens and...
How Parenting Changes in Preteen Years
Every parent is warned about the terrible twos and wild toddler years, but parenting preteens is not for the faint of heart. This is a time of new budding emotions, puberty, radical change, and getting to know themselves. Preteens, between the ages of nine and twelve,...
How to Know if Your Child is Happy
As a parent, one of our top priorities while raising our children is their happiness. But how do we know our child is actually happy? Do we know by their smile or their laugh? It’s a terrifying thought to consider your child may be unhappy and you are unaware of it....
How to Help Your Children Express Their Feelings
One of the most difficult things for a child to learn to control and fully understand is their emotions. How we as parents teach our children how to express their emotions can have a major effect on them well into adulthood. This is why it is so essential for parents...
Getting Fit and Healthy as a Family
If you're like a lot of families in 2020, you probably realize that your family could use some work on their overall fitness and health. Take a look at a few simple ways you can help your family get into better shape! Exercise That Doesn't Feel Like Exercise When you...
The Art of Saying No to Your Child
When a parent tells their child they can’t do something it’s because they have a reason behind it. Whether you tell them they can’t go to the park to play or hang out with a friend after school, the word ‘no’ has to be said every once in a while (and sometimes quite...
Benefits of Cooking with Your Kids
Spending time with your family is a great way to strengthen your bonds and get to know each other even better. A great activity to do as a family is cooking. Whether it’s flipping pancakes or preparing spaghetti bolognaise, cooking can bring people together. When...
Healthy Ways to Deal With Sibling Rivalry
When raising a family, there are bound to be a spat or two between siblings. It’s easy to get stressed in this situation, but how you approach sibling rivalry as a parent is very crucial. When handled correctly, you can help mend their bond as siblings and ensure...
What to Do If Your Child Talks Back
Parenting is not without its highs and lows. The highs include being able to watch your children grow and flourish into young adults, while some of the lows include when their temper gets out of hand and less than appropriate outbursts take place. No matter what...
The Power of Encouragement
As a parent, watching your child succeed is one of the most exceptional experiences. Much of the time, most things your child says and does is worth mass amounts of praise in your eyes. Even if it's as small as finishing their broccoli or remembering to do their...
How Does Your Personality Affect Your Parenting?
We each have natural ways we respond when tired, stressed, under pressure and want things done. It's essential for parents to be aware of their natural responses so that we can have insight into how they affect our children, both in the short term, and as they develop...
Fun Outdoor Activities for the Family
Spending time with your family is so important because it strengthens bonds with each other and creates memories you will never forget. One of the best ways to spend time with each other is simply by doing fun activities outside. Going outside in the fresh air and...
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