Calm Parenting Toolbox

Does your child have the words they need to express themselves and how they are feeling? Why is it important to teach them, and how can we do it? A very special episode for you to help you teach your child the words they need to express how they feel.

In a very real episode Heather normalises the feelings of being a bad mum and the days when we just want to run away and never look back. We've all had them and sometimes the best thing you need is to be reassured that it is okay and just because you think something, doesn't make it true.

Welcome back to a new season of the Calm Parenting Toolbox! It's the end of lockdown for October 2021 here in Sydney and in this episode Heather share some powerful and personal insights into her parenting journey she has gained during the last few months.

Behaviour is communication and a reflection of our child's needs and underlying that is what they are feeling. In this episode Heather explores how we can work out what is underlying our child's behaviour so that we can help them change their behaviour and develop the skill of emotional intelligence.

Toxic mum guilt, we've all experienced it. Feeling horrible about ourselves and something we did or didn't do. Failed to live up to our expectations and we end up telling ourselves we're a bad mum. In this episode Heather shows you how to overcome mum guilt and decrease the impact it has on your parenting journey.

We all have times when the thought of family time or being with our kids makes us want to run away. The guilt we can feel can make us feel like a bad mum. It actually means we're human. In this episode Heather will share some practical ways to manage the times when you dread family time.

Have you ever been sober curious? Join Heather in this special interview episode of the Calm Parenting Toolbox to talk to Victoria Vanstone of Drunk Mummy, Sober Mummy, who had enough of being the hungover mum and told her husband that she needed help while he was feeding the kids spaghetti bolognese.

In honour of the upcoming 2020 Summer Holidays here in Australia, join Heather for her 5 tips for surviving the school holidays with your sanity intact!

We all want, and need our children to sleep. Just how do we do this without yelling, screaming and trying to force them? Sleep hygiene! Join Heather in this follow on episode on how to improve sleep for mum and child.

Sleep! The holy grail of parenting, especially when you have children who wake frequently throughout the night. Improving our sleep is about quality versus quantity. In the first of a two part episode Heather will take you through practical steps you can take to improve your sleep, even if you're interrupted.

Family meetings aren't mundane or boring but a great way to get everyone talking and working on the same page - parents and children included. Do you have one? If not, join Heather in this week's episode to look at how to set one up that works for you.

We all want to have a family that runs smoothly and kids that do what they need to do so we can all spend quality time together. But how do we do that? Family rules are a must! In this week's episode let Heather share with you how to create family rules that suit your family and that are the basis of a calmer household.

Parenting plans may seem like simply another thing you "should" be doing. In this week's episode Heather shares with you how they're an invaluable tool to being a calmer mum and don't have to be an overwhelming task.

Returning to the Calm Parenting Toolbox with a look at the type of mum you are. In this episode explore Heather's own Motherhood Values and how she uses them in her day to day life to be the type of mum she wants to be.

In a special episode in honour of her upcoming online parenting program, Calm July, Heather is sharing with you this week a special Calm Mum Relaxation recording to help you relax and be calmer with your kids. As with any relaxation, please do not listen to it while driving or supervising your children.

We all get angry. It's what we do with our anger that really counts. This week a highly practical episode where Heather shares 7 things to do with your anger rather than yelling at the kids.

What parent doesn't want more time in their day? Join Heather this week as she shares with you her favourite 9 hacks to make life just that bit easier for everyone.

In this week's episode it's time to be a parenting detective and work out what your child is feeling in order for it to help you improve their behaviour.

In this weeks episode of the Calm Parenting Toolbox let Heather share with you the importance of meditation and calm parenting as well as a quick and easy way to fit it into any busy lifestyle.

Join Heather in this first episode of 2020 and the return of the Calm Parenting Toolbox where she'll share with you her 5 Step Process of Gentle Discipline. It's time to make parenting easier and more enjoyable for everyone involved!

At one time or another, all kids act up and have less than ideal behaviour. Behaviour problems develop when normal developmental behaviour becomes destructive. This is when we need to step in with strategies to help decrease the frequency and intensity. Join Heather in this episode to explore how child-led attachment play can be the first step for you to manage behaviour problems with your child.

In this special hour long episode listen to the audio from my recent Webinar - Remaining Calm Amongst The Chaos: 9 Calming Techniques for Stressed and Busy Mums which was released on the 12th February 2019.

Join me in this first episode for 2019 to look at what positive parenting actually is and what the 5 defining features area.

Parenting is the hardest and most rewarding roles we will have in life. There are steps that we can take, things we can implement and carry in our parenting toolbox that can either make life as a parent harder, or easier. Join Heather in today's episode to look at 10 of the most beneficial parenting skills for your enjoyment and your child's growth and development

How would you describe your parenting style? How do you encourage your children? How do you discipline them? What emotional environment are you creating for your children to thrive in? Your parenting style goes beyond the nuts and bolts of everyday parenting and researchers do agree that one particular style of parenting leads to better outcomes in children. Do you know which one? Join Heather in this weeks episode to explore the four parenting styles and why it is so important for you to know which one you fall into.

Mums are arguably some of the busiest people in society. Fitting in the care of their children and themselves all within a single 24 hour period. We all know that self-care is important. When we look after ourselves it has a positive flow on effect to our children and we can be the calmer, more gentle parent we strive to be. How is a mum to do it? Join Heather in this week's episode where she describes 25 easy ways too look after yourself everyday.

A special episode of the Calm Parenting Toolbox this week for Post-Natal Depression (PND) & Anxiety Awareness Week in Australia. A three-time suffer of PND this is a topic that is very close to Heather's heart. Coaching helped her recover from PND with her second child and she has gone on to use the same techniques with other mums who find themselves caught in the chronic phase of PND. In this episode she shares 3 things that mums can do to help improve their mood, and in turn be calmer parents.

Being a calm parent is dependent upon us having a support network which supports the type of mum that we want to be. If we are lacking in support, then we often are more susceptible to parenting stress and in turn feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and we can end up taking it out on our kids. There are practical steps that we can take to increase our support network. Let Heather take you through the 6 steps she uses with her clients to help you improve the support you have around you so that you can be a calmer parent.

Have you ever had one of those days where everything seems to go wrong with the kids? How do we manage these days? How can we change the atmosphere of our family so that things are smooth and calm. Listen and let Heather give you 5 steps to make parenting easier on the tough days.

Have you ever said to yourself, "I wish my child would just listen to me!"? There's not a parent out there who hasn't at one stage or another felt frustrated that their child is not listening. In this weeks episode Heather shares with you some language tools that you can use to help get your child to listen and cooperate with you so that you can stop repeating yourself and stop yelling.

It's easier to be a parent on the days when everything is going smoothly for you and your kids. When the day is the opposite, that's when it can be really hard work. Those days are when we need to step up and rise to the challenge of being the gentle parent we strive to be, while at the same time looking after ourselves so that we're not overwhelmed, resentful and burnout. In this episode Heather discusses some easy strategies to help you manage when you have one of 'those' days.

Have you ever dismissed your child's behaviour as simply 'attention seeking'? Attention seeking behaviour is a necessary part of normal childhood development, however as parents and care-givers we need to make sure that our children seek our attention in positive, healthy ways and not via harmful or distructive behaviour. Let Heather guide you in this episode on how to help your child seek your assistance and guidence with positive behaviour compared to negative behaviour

As a parent have you ever felt that you are constantly cranky and frustrated? When mum gets angry, everyone knows about it. Even the neighbours! Join Heather in this episode to learn what steps you can take within yourself to help manage your anger towards your children and their behaviour so that you can have a happier and calmer household.

Parenting can be challenge on the best of days. There are steps we can take to make sure that we are on the right track with the type of parent we are, so that parenting is easier for all involved. Join Heather in this first episode of the Calm Parenting Toolbox to learn how you can make your journey as a parent, just that little bit easier.