Blog
The team's articles on parenting, emotions and children's mental health, and news from the project.
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How can I use body language and tone of voice to communicate better with my son or daughter?
Children read our body and our voice before our words. Small changes in the way we say things can change how they are received.
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Setting limits
This is a summary of the talk we give at schools. If you would like us to give it at yours, get in touch. When we talk about setting limits for children, words like forbidding, punishing or saying no often come to mind. But setting limits goes far beyond that. Setting limits is really about setting…
Why does my child sleepwalk and what can I do about it?
Sleepwalking is common in childhood and almost always goes away on its own. Knowing what to do during an episode reassures the whole family.
How can I help my daughter or son learn to stand up for themselves?
Standing up for yourself does not mean fighting. It means being able to say what you need clearly and respectfully, and that is learned through practice.
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How can we help our child welcome a new brother or sister into the family?
A new baby changes everyone's place at home. With preparation and time of their own, the older sibling can experience it as something they gain.
Family cinema: Elio
Elio is a boy who cannot quite find his place and looks to the stars to search for it. A film for talking about loneliness, loss and belonging.
How should we respond when our child asks us for things?
Between always saying yes and always saying no there are many possible answers. The key is to be clear, consistent and not to change our minds because of insistence.
What is time-out?
Time-out is a short, calm pause to interrupt a behaviour. Used well, it is not a humiliating punishment but a chance to calm down.
How does differential reinforcement work?
Instead of focusing on the behaviour we want to get rid of, differential reinforcement puts the attention on the behaviour we want to see more often.
Why is socialising important for my child?
Playing with other children teaches them to share, to negotiate and to see things from someone else's point of view. These skills are not taught by explaining, but by practising.
Obsessive behaviour: when should I worry?
Rituals and quirks are part of development. The difference between a habit and a problem is the distress it causes and the time it takes up.
The GroWinApp project on No Venim Amb Manual
Jordi Llabrés, one of the principal investigators of the GroWinApp project, took part in the podcast No Venim Amb Manual. The episode covered, among other things, how our app can help children's emotional wellbeing, the role families play and what taking part involves…
What are the psychological benefits of physical activity in childhood?
Moving does more than strengthen the body. It also improves mood, concentration and the way children see themselves.
Why is it important to raise children with equality?
Raising children with equality means giving girls and boys the same opportunities to discover what they enjoy and what they are capable of.
Is it helpful to try to avoid unpleasant emotions?
Running away from fear, sadness or anger brings relief in the short term, but usually makes them bigger. Learning to stay with them is a skill that can be taught.
Why is it important for my children to read?
Reading broadens vocabulary, trains attention and helps children understand others. And the habit spreads more through example than through obligation.
Talk on family life together
SOS Children's Villages invites you to a talk on family life together next Wednesday, 29 January, at 5 pm at CEIP Gabriel Vallseca (no registration needed)
How can I talk to my children about inclusion?
Children notice differences and ask questions. Answering naturally teaches them that everyone has a place in the group.
How can I use humour in raising my children?
Laughing together lowers tension, strengthens the bond and makes cooperation easier. The condition is to laugh with the child, never at them.
Iemprèn award for Núria González Bennasar for creating the GroWinApp website
Did you know that the GroWinApp website grew out of the most common worries parents have about their school-age children? Núria González Bennasar gathered these worries as part of her undergraduate psychology dissertation, contacting schools and parents' associations, and eventually…
Why do good communication skills matter?
Knowing how to listen, explain what you feel and ask for what you need protects children in almost every area of life.
How can I help my child build study habits?
A good study habit is built with routine, a suitable space and growing independence, more than with hours in front of books.
How to talk to our children about natural disasters
Faced with images of floods, fires or earthquakes, children need truthful information suited to their age and, above all, to feel safe.
What can I do to get my child to eat a bit of everything?
Accepting new foods takes time and many tastes without pressure. The table works better as a meeting place than as a battlefield.
The state of child and adolescent mental health in the Balearic Islands
The 2023 report of the Economic and Social Council of the Balearic Islands (CES) has just been published. It includes a chapter by GroWinApp researchers Maria Àngels Ollers, Maria Balle and Jordi Llabrés, entitled “Child mental health in the Balearic Islands: we need to invest in research”. The chapter addresses…
How can I build a positive relationship with my children?
A good relationship does not depend on big plans, but on small, repeated moments of attention, affection and genuine interest.
How can I get my child ready on time in the morning?
Mornings go better when much of the work is done the night before and the routine is so clear that there is no need to keep repeating instructions.
Does your children's fever make you anxious?
Fever is frightening, but it is almost always a normal response of the body to an infection. Looking at how the child is doing helps more than looking at the thermometer.
How does the pace of the TV programmes my children watch relate to their attention?
Not all cartoons are the same. Very fast-paced ones can leave children more restless and less able to concentrate right after watching them.
How can I tell if my child is depressed?
Childhood depression is real, and it does not always look like sadness. It often shows up as irritability, loss of interest or physical complaints.
What can we do to reduce rivalry between siblings?
Fights between siblings are normal and even useful. Our role is not to act as judge, but to teach them how to sort them out.
How can I encourage empathy in my child?
Empathy develops with age, but it can also be practised. Children learn to put themselves in other people's shoes when someone has first put themselves in theirs.
What is happening to our children during preadolescence?
Between nine and twelve, physical, emotional and social changes begin that herald adolescence. Understanding them helps us not to take them personally.
The GroWinApp project on IB3
Last Thursday, 27 June, our colleagues Maria Àngels Ollers and Núria González Bennasar took part in IB3's radio and television programme “Al Dia”. Talking to Marta Garau and Jaume Noguera, they explained what GroWinApp is, what a digital repository of psychological information means…
Family cinema: Inside Out 2
Riley has turned thirteen and new emotions are arriving in her head. A film for talking about anxiety, embarrassment and who we are when we change.
The GroWinApp project in Diario de Mallorca
This week we had the chance to explain in “Diario de Mallorca” why the research we carry out in the GroWinApp project matters. Maria Balle talks to Mar Ferragut about the need to collect mental health data on children, the importance of parents getting information about parenting…
How can I help my child enjoy video games in a healthy way?
Video games can be a positive pastime if there are clear limits, age-appropriate content and room for everything else.
What should I bear in mind when planning a family holiday?
A good holiday is not the one packed with activities. It is one that combines rest, time together and just enough routine for everyone to be comfortable.
Why is it important to develop our children's creativity?
Creativity is not just for artists. It is the ability to find new solutions, and it grows with free time, simple materials and permission to get things wrong.
What can we do if our child tells lies?
Almost all children tell lies at some point. Understanding why they do it helps more than punishing the lie.
How can I handle my child's tantrums?
A tantrum is an emotional overflow, not a challenge. Our own calm is the most useful tool for helping them get theirs back.
Talks at schools
As part of the GroWinApp project we give talks at schools on children's mental health. So far we have talked about using technology, setting limits, emotion regulation, bullying, motivation… We really enjoy discussing these topics with teachers and families. We have been to Inca, Vilafranca…
How can I help my child when they have nightmares?
Nightmares are common in childhood. Comforting, listening and looking after sleep routines is usually enough for them to lose their power.
How can we help our children manage their anger?
Getting angry is normal and healthy. What needs to be learned is what to do with anger without hurting anyone.
How can I make homework time calm and productive?
With a clear routine, a good space and just the right amount of help, homework time can stop being the worst moment of the afternoon.
How does my attitude affect my child's motivation for sport?
What we say from the stands and in the car on the way home can make a child love sport or give it up.
How can we help our children with their emotional development?
Learning to recognise, express and regulate emotions is a long process. We adults are the first model and the main support.
Why does our children's temperament matter?
Every child is born with their own way of reacting to the world. Knowing their temperament helps us adjust what we ask of them and how we support them.
How can we make our separation less difficult for our children? (Part II)
After a separation, what protects children is stability, similar routines in both homes and being kept out of the adults' conflict.
How can we make our separation less difficult for our children? (Part I)
How a separation is announced has a big influence on how children experience it. Clarity, a united front and one message repeated: it is not your fault.
How can I help my child stop wetting the bed?
Bedwetting is common and involuntary. With patience, a few habits and professional help when needed, it is resolved in the vast majority of cases.
What are the advantages of an upbringing free of gender stereotypes?
When toys, emotions and chores have no gender, children can choose according to what they enjoy and develop all their abilities.
How can I change my child's behaviour through praise?
Attention is the most powerful reinforcement we have. Specific, immediate praise makes the behaviour we like happen again.
Can I talk about suicide with my children?
Yes. Talking about it calmly and in words suited to their age does not put the idea into anyone's head. Silence, on the other hand, leaves children alone with their questions.
How can I find a good professional for my child?
Choosing a psychologist for a child raises questions. Checking their training, asking about how they work and weighing up the trust you feel helps you decide.
When should we start relationships and sex education with our children?
Relationships and sex education starts long before adolescence. It is not one big talk, but many small conversations over the years.
How does TikTok work? A quick guide for parents
What it is, why it is so addictive and what safety options it has. The bare minimum worth knowing before deciding whether your child should use it.
How can I help my son or daughter find their way around social media?
Social media will arrive sooner or later. Preparing them beforehand, being with them at the start and keeping the conversation going works better than banning it.
How can I teach my son or daughter to handle money?
Financial education starts with a piggy bank. Deciding, waiting and making mistakes with small amounts is the best school.
The GroWinApp project on IB3 Ràdio
Our colleague Victòria Copoví was interviewed on IB3 Ràdio, where she explained what the GroWinApp project is about and answered questions about its aims, the requirements for taking part and other matters. Don't miss it! Click the image to listen
How can I help my children regulate themselves better?
Self-regulation is the ability to manage emotions, attention and behaviour. It builds up over the years, first with an adult's help and then on their own.
What does it mean to be friends with our children?
We can be close, affectionate and trustworthy without stopping being parents. Children already have friends; what they need from us is something else.
Family cinema: Inside Out
Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger and Disgust live inside Riley's head. A perfect film for starting to talk about emotions at home.
Do our children get too many presents? The four-gift rule
When there are too many parcels, no present is fully enjoyed. The four-gift rule suggests choosing fewer and better ones.
Why is it important for my son or daughter to play?
Playing is not a waste of time. It is the natural way children learn, relate to others and understand what they feel.
What should I bear in mind about my son's or daughter's use of technology?
Technology is becoming an ever more present part of our children's daily lives and, at the same time, parents are more and more worried about how they can use it in a healthy way. Even so, it is not realistic to aim to remove technology from…
What do we mean when we talk about…?
Very often, when we hear about psychology, it is full of complex terms we do not understand, which make the information we are given useless because we cannot follow it and, therefore, cannot apply it in our daily lives. That is why we introduce the terms “child behaviour”, “emotion regulation”…
How can I support my son or daughter through grief?
Children grieve too, even if they show it differently. They need the truth, the chance to take part and adults who do not hide their own sadness.
What is the best parenting style I can adopt in raising my son or daughter?
Parenting styles are the way we act towards our children in everyday life, when solving problems and when making decisions. In other words, they are the set of techniques we use in bringing them up. Our different ways of acting give rise to expectations and limits that…
How can I raise my son or daughter with a democratic parenting style?
Plenty of affection and clear rules at the same time. The democratic style is the one research links with the best outcomes, and it can be learned.
How can I prevent bullying?
Preventing bullying starts at home: self-esteem, social skills, empathy and communication that lets children say what is happening.
What can I do to help my son or daughter with school?
Rather than playing teacher at home, children need us to show interest, to value learning and to support them when things get hard.
How can I create a healthy space for communication at home?
For children to tell us the important things, they first need to see that we listen to them about the small ones.
How can I tell if my son or daughter is being bullied?
Many children who are bullied do not tell anyone. There are changes in behaviour, in their body and in their belongings that can alert us.
How can I help my son or daughter feel listened to and understood?
Conflicts at home often arise because we do not know how to listen to our children while setting aside the “directive” role of parent, when perhaps what they need in that situation is to be listened to without judgement, so they can deal with what is happening.
Why is it important to teach emotion regulation strategies?
Research shows that emotion regulation, that is, the ability to handle emotions appropriately, plays a very important role in developing or maintaining a psychopathology. Sooner or later, a person's emotional skill will trigger a range of behaviours which, if they are poorly adaptive, can lead…