Blog
The team's articles on parenting, emotions and children's mental health, and news from the project.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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 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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…