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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 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 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.
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.
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.
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 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 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…