The Peaceful Home: In praise of bad days

Yes, you read that title right! I want to talk a bit about why our children’s challenging behaviour can be a gift to us as peaceful parents, and something that we could actually begin to feel grateful for. As a peaceful parent, one of the most valuable mindset shifts which serves me again and again…

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The Prepared Adult: Some thoughts about self care

This month I am taking part in a project on Instagram all about the concept of “The Prepared Adult”, and I thought I would share some thoughts here too. If we’re not already connected on Instagram, come along and say hi! This week the participants in “The Prepared Adult” are writing about self care, and how this…

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The Prepared Adult: The power of observation

This month I am taking part in a project on Instagram all about the concept of “The Prepared Adult”, and I thought I would share some thoughts here too. If we’re not already connected on Instagram, come along and say hi! Last week (I’m a little behind – oops!) the participants in “The Prepared Adult” were writing…

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Supporting our children’s right to consent

This month in The Peaceful Home we have been talking about supporting our children in their social interactions, and this led us to discuss the issue of children and consent. As adults, we are in a position of power and privilege compared to our children. It’s up to us to use that power to be…

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The Peaceful Home membership has re-opened!

I believe that parenting can be a truly radical act. The way in which we raise our children can have a profound positive impact on our families, our communities, and our world. At its heart, peaceful parenting is a social justice issue. It’s not just about social change though; peaceful parenting is better for our children.…

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Why I don’t discipline my daughter

For a little while now I’ve wanted to write about why I hate the word “discipline” when used in reference to something parents to do their children, and why I am increasingly rejecting the notion that as parents we need to discipline our children at all. And yes, I’m even including “gentle discipline” in this…

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Developing Empathy

Empathy can be defined as recognising and understanding the feelings of others. From an evolutionary perspective, empathy is crucial and a valuable tool without which otherwise we would not have been so successful as a species. We are biologically wired for connection with others, and empathy facilitates this connection. Below are some thoughts on how…

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Unconditional Positive Regard

(This post was originally written for Instagram, but it received such a positive response that I wanted to share it here too.) I believe that one of the most important gifts we can give our children is that of unconditional positive regard. Coined by the psychologist Carl Rogers, it means that when we’re interacting with…

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The Peaceful Home membership has re-opened!

I believe that parenting can be a truly radical act. The way in which we raise our children can have a profound positive impact on our families, our communities, and our world. At its heart, peaceful parenting is a social justice issue. It’s not just about social change though; peaceful parenting is better for our children.…

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