If you’re not a parent, skip this one, but for those of you who live with small roommates. You'll be glad to know we're all dealing with the same shizzle - and there’s a looonggg old summer ahead.
Planning is all a great idea - but when the house is full of friction, it makes logical and forward thinking difficult.
I am no expert, but I have three kids, two teenagers (oh the joy), and Otis is five. So, in the depths of it all, I feel very lucky to come across some super helpful resources that have helped guide me to take a little bit of the stress out of parenting.
The one book I recommend to everyone is: How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk.
It's really been the foundation of my parenting approach, and because of that, I’m really proud to have a great relationship with the kids (most of the time, anyway, even when they are a handful).
The authors have published another book called Siblings Without Rivalry, which again has been a game-changer, especially with the two big girls when they were little and at each other. One of the key takeaways is never to be the referee and trust them to work things out. The book goes into more detail and more frameworks to use, highly recommended!
Some other parenting people I have found helpful in their approach:
- Janet Lansbury, who has a podcast called Unruffled (the ultimate goal!), and short tips on the old Insta. And her website is No Bad Kids, she also offers a course on there.
- Dr Becky - similar but different, lots of good stuff on Instagram and she’s a guest on loads of podcasts. Her website and book are called Good Inside.
- Finally, Positive Parenting Solutions - Amy McCready - we did her online course over lockdown, as a blended family, it was a way to align. I loved her chart with home jobs that suit which ages. (See it here) She’s also on Insta here.
Just to be clear, I'm not endorsing any of these, and I probably don't agree with everything they say, but I've picked up extremely useful tips from each of them.
Parenting is not an easy job, and learning from others has been crucial for our household.