Surviving the move: Parenting through huge life changes
This month’s feature blog comes to you from a shamble of a house. I’ve just moved in and have boxes everywhere. I can think of a million things I could be doing to get my life in order, but stopping and reflecting on the week that’s passed is more important [...]
Is filling every second of your day dragging you down?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s life is an organisational nightmare. I have calendars, diaries, checklist upon checklist to keep on top of my life. And that’s just me – throw into the mix CHILDREN and those lists implode! I’m sure it wasn’t like this when I was [...]
Why we need to let our kids cry it out
I’ve been a parent long enough now to know one thing for sure – there is no magic wand. Eager parents come along to my talks and workshops hoping to get that one key tip that will make their life eternally easier… I’m sorry to disappoint. Parenting is hard, relentless [...]
A beginners guide to step parenting
As a mum of two kids, I have my hands full. Dancing, footy, musical instruments, homework, play dates and family. My life is full and busy and active. And then I fell in love with a man who has three kids. In case you need help with the maths, 2 [...]
I never meant to be a single parent
Recently I disclosed on my Key to Kids Facebook page that I was a single parent. These were words that I never thought I’d need to put into a sentence, let alone go through the process of adjusting my children to a world where their parents live in separate houses. [...]
Send your kids back to school with a smile using these 5 tips
Ready or not, school is about to start for another year. For some parents this will come with a sigh of relief, but for others a sadness or anxiety about the conveyor belt of life cranking up once more. Regardless of which camp you are in, there are a few [...]
Ten ways to stop yelling and improve cooperation with your kids in 2019
As we near the end of the year, it’s often a time of reflection, contemplation and resetting of intentions for the new year. It’s not surprising that after the Christmas parties, end of year catch ups and finishing everything in time to embrace the silly season – we can feel [...]
Teaching gratitude this Christmas
If you’re like me, it’s around this time that you start thinking about what to buy your kids for Christmas. While this should be a joyful and simple task, every year I come up with the same question – what do my kids actually need? Is there anything they’d like [...]
Why doesn’t my life look that perfect? The social media trap…
It would easy to believe that everyone else is having a better life than you if you took social media at face value. Everyone else has perfect kids, go on perfect holidays, have the perfect partner and never, ever have a problem in the world. Having said that, I’m pretty [...]
Instead of ‘How many times do I have to tell you?’, try these three things
Tired of asking your kids to pick up after themselves? Feel like a broken record? I’m here to tell you that you’re not the Lone Ranger. Having kids is one hugely, repetitive ‘Groundhog Day’. There is always something that we need them to do, and always something that they have [...]