fatherhood

, ,

The Impact of Mental Health Disorders During Pregnancy and In the Year Following

, ,
The Impact of Mental Health Disorders During Pregnancy and In the Year Following

Mental health disorders can make it extremely difficult for new and expectant mothers to get through the day, let alone manage during pregnancy, respond to the needs of their infant or attend to other children. 

Research outcomes from Beyondblue have revealed that many depressed mothers describe feeling no joy. Instead, they feel like they are down a black hole, numb, detached, alone and/or unable to cope or interact with their baby or their life. The sense of hopelessness can often feel overwhelming.

"All I wanted to do was to just crawl into bed and stay there, on my own, and everyone to go away - including my baby and my mum."

, ,

Expect a Change in Your Relationship After Having a Baby

, ,
Expect a Change in Your Relationship After Having a Baby

Mostly couples are unprepared for the reality of life with a new baby, despite googling, reading books, talking to other parents or family members and attending antenatal classes. The exhaustion, the 24/7 reality, the relentlessness of dependence and general lifestyle adjustment for any couple takes some time to negotiate and fine-tune. The resultant shift in relationship dynamic is often not an easy one. 

, , ,

Becoming a Parent: the bits we don’t talk about

, , ,
Becoming a Parent: the bits we don’t talk about

The first few months after having a baby is a period of time like no other. It is life stage that arrives after many months of growing a new life inside of you and constantly adjusting to all the biological and psychological changes that brings. The arrival of your baby is a powerful event, regardless of delivery style.

, , , , , , ,

Strategies for Behaviour Challenges in the Child aged 2-4 years: A positive response to strong emotions

, , , , , , ,
Strategies for Behaviour Challenges in the Child aged 2-4 years: A positive response to strong emotions

Preliminary Checklist

  1. Check for any changes in daily program, environment, family, instigation of punishment/discipline regimes
  2. Assess child’s sense of connection to primary caregivers. Ie. any exaggerated imprinting behaviours evident; separation anxiety symptoms; tantrums/ sensory meltdowns; has time out been commenced?

, , ,

Does our Childhood Affect the Way We Parent?

, , ,
Does our Childhood Affect the Way We Parent?

Most parents look into the eyes of their newborn baby and see a clean slate. Yet attachment research tells us that the biggest predictor of how we will parent our child is how we’ve been able to make sense of our own past. So, whilst many of us don’t give much thought to our own childhood when we become parents, we should do so if we want to remain informed regarding our parental responses.

, , , ,

10 Ways to Connect with your Child

, , , ,
10 Ways to Connect with your Child

Being deeply connected to our children is the key to emotional health, cooperation, influence, and peaceful homes, but staying connected in the hustle and bustle of daily life can be challenging. We have to be intentional about our relationships with them now if we want these relationships to flourish for years to come. Here are 10 ways to connect with your child.

, , ,

Is the 'No Smacking Rule' Really Making Our Kids into Monsters?

, , ,
Is the 'No Smacking Rule' Really Making Our Kids into Monsters?

A concerned father asks:  As I reflect on my childhood and growing up, I wonder if we are creating parents who are too soft? What I mean by this is when I was younger and I did something wrong I would get a whack across the bottom with a wooden spoon – granted, this was a last resort and there were warnings before this, however I know that I learnt my lesson and wouldn’t be repeating that behaviour anytime soon. 

, ,

5 things dads can do to raise emotionally healthy children

, ,
5 things dads can do to raise emotionally healthy children

Sometimes I have the opportunity to work with men on issues of fatherhood including the themes of communication, commitment, identity, intimacy and trust. The men I work with often have difficulties in their personal lives relating to the people they love most. They yearn for their children to be happy and successful, yet they often lack the skills and ability to model a way to help them accomplish this.

, , ,

Imprinting… Unravelling an Over-Processed Approach to Parenting

, , ,
Imprinting… Unravelling an Over-Processed Approach to Parenting

The lifelong journey of parenting is one of the most relentless and rewarding you are likely to ever experience. This is an exciting, exhausting period where life’s experiences can be enjoyed and at times dismayed over. At times it may feel like a large exercise in troubleshooting, frustration and experimentation

, , , , ,

Adjusting Your Outlook… and become a more confident, effective parent

, , , , ,
Adjusting Your Outlook… and become a more confident, effective parent

1. Don't take it personally

When your child fails to comply with a request, it's easy to feel disrespected. It's easy to feel targeted when your child flies into a rage. But these emotional reactions, however natural, are not helpful.

, , , , ,

When Things Get Physical: Hitting, Throwing, Kicking and Biting

, , , , ,
When Things Get Physical: Hitting, Throwing, Kicking and Biting

Toddlers and preschoolers are still in the early stages of learning to communicate verbally. Add to that the fact that they have little-to-no impulse control and very immature social skills, and you’ve got a recipe for an instinctive physical response (i.e. hitting, kicking, biting, hair pulling, throwing things, etc.) to situations when they are frustrated, angry, excited, scared, or just tired and out-of-sorts.

,

5 Things Dads can do to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children

,
5 Things Dads can do to Raise Emotionally Healthy Children

Sometimes I have the opportunity to work with men on issues of fatherhood including the themes of communication, commitment, identity, intimacy and trust. The men I work with often have difficulties in their personal lives relating to the people they love most. They yearn for their children to be happy and successful, yet they often lack the skills and ability to model a way to help them accomplish this.

, ,

Does Anxiety Get in the Way of You Being the Parent You Want to Be?...

, ,
Does Anxiety Get in the Way of You Being the Parent You Want to Be?...

A number of the parents I meet are frustrated (and possibly a little frightened) by their anxious responses to some of the day to day challenges of becoming a parent. They might find it difficult to respond with calmness to the sound of their waking baby, for fear of not knowing what they are going to do to re-settle their child. Or the parent may shout in response to their two-year-old child’s misbehaviour as they feel their frustration creep into anxious response. 

, , ,

Are you offering unconditional love in your parent-child relationship?

, , ,
Are you offering unconditional love in your parent-child relationship?

Over the years as I have worked with, advised, laughed with, worried with, walked the journey with thousands of parents, I have found one thing missing in many parent-child relationships. It is the one thing everyone needs and the one thing most live their entire lifetime without. That unpracticed aspect is a relationship based on unconditional love.