How to create happier family dynamics

February 2019 Newsletter from the Positive Parenting Project

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How to create happier family dynamics

February 2019

All families have some helpful and some unhelpful dynamics. Sometimes it's a question of unhelpful patterns of behaviour like sibling rivalry or Good Cop/Bad Cop parenting. Other times, there can be conflict within the extended family (see Managing the grandparents). And sometimes we are challenged to take on new family roles such as becoming a step-parent. Whatever your parenting challenge, the Positive Parenting Project is here to help you create a happier family dynamic.

Storybooks about sibling rivalry
Sibling bickering and relentless competitiveness can really wear parents down. Using storybooks to tackle sibling rivalry can help children think more deeply and independently about their relationships and about how other people feel. Here's my pick of the best children's books about sibling rivalry. Read more...

Managing the grandparents
Grandparents can make a wonderful contribution to children's lives. But relationships between parents and grandparents are not always smooth sailing. It's not uncommon for parents to feel judged, undermined, let down or intruded upon. Here are a few tips on how to manage grandparents and resolve conflict. Read more...

Good Cop/Bad Cop parenting

Are you stuck in a Good Cop/Bad Cop parenting dynamic? Where one parent hogs all the fun bits and ignores all the boundaries while the other parent is sucked into providing structure and discipline? Then you'll know that this dynamic tends to cause conflict. Here's how to break out of it. Read more...

Successful step-parenting
Every step-parenting situation is different and there are no exact rules on how to get it right. Lots of step-parents experience mixed feelings about their role and uncertainty about what they should or shouldn't do. Here are a few step-parenting tips to help you overcome obstacles and keep going forward no matter what. Read more...

Over on Facebook, our most popular share this month was an article from the New York Times on how parenting has become significantly more time-consuming and expensive (The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting). Why not join us there for daily doses of inspiration and reflection, updates on recent research and occasional humour!

News from The Positive Parenting Project
It has been a busy start to 2019! I have been working with a production company to develop a TV pilot on parenting teenagers (watch this space). I am collaborating with a mental health colleague to develop a new venture for supporting parents of teens (more on this later in the year). I've finally made some progress on writing my book (my New Year's Resolution is to have that finished by summer - please nag me if I haven't!). And I have been advising the country's biggest supermarkets on how children influence parents' shopping and buying habits.

I've also been delivering a lot of one-to-one parenting support. January always sees a sharp rise in the number of parents requesting parenting coaching. We have now expanded our coaching capacity to include a very experienced parenting expert who specialises in troubled teenagers, so do get in touch if you think the Positive Parenting Project can help you with any aspect of your children's or teens' behaviour / well-being.

Anita

Catch up on these previous editions of The Positive Parenting Project newsletter:

How to reduce the stress of parenting (Jan 2019): how to reduce parenting stress and use positive psychology for happier parenting
Are you doing too much for your kids? (Nov 2018): helping kids learn life lessons and independence by doing a little less
Managing children's misbehaviour (Oct 2018): tips on using logical consequences, behaviour contracts and attention strategies to manage misbehaviour
Parenting tips to fuel your child's learning (Sep 2018): parenting strategies and nutrition tips to boost children's learning
Making the most of family time (June 2018): building a good relationship with your children, family time with a grumpy teenager and surviving long journeys
Creating a mentally healthy family life (May 2018): positive parenting strategies for children's and parents' mental health
Positive discipline strategies (Apr 2018): how to get children to do what they're asked, when they're asked
Supercharge your child's development through play (Feb 2018): the importance of free play and letting children be bored
Helping children cope with change (Jan 2018): supporting children through changes and changing your own parenting habits
How not to shout at your kids (Dec 2017): top tips for staying calm and keeping the volume low
Resilient Parenting - for when the going gets tough (Nov 2017): listening empathetically, talking to children about tragic events and managing change.
Positive parenting in the digital age (Oct 2017): managing screen time, keeping children safe and the impacts of tech on child development
Balancing work and family (Sept 2017): practical parenting solutions to improve work/life balance

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Positive Parenting Project Ltd is a social enterprise that promotes positive long term outcomes for children by supporting parents/carers to use effective parenting strategies and create a family environment that meets everyone's needs.

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