Although I write and submit academic journals for consideration for publication frequently, writing and presenting a children’s manuscript for publication was a totally novel thing to me. So I thought it might be useful for others for me to show how we did it. Step 1: You need to have a novel idea for your… Continue reading How we wrote a children’s book and presented the manuscript to publishers || Cómo escribimos un libro para niños y presentamos el manuscrito a los editores
This blog post is to let you all know that we are very excited about our first children’s book: “Elias and Daddy At Home” (the first in a series), which has now been published and is available from all major retailers! The book follows Elias and his dad as they embark on a fun-filled adventure… Continue reading We wrote a children’s book! || ¡Escribimos un libro para niños!
It’s a long story: In 2020, I was working on my PhD thesis, working at a health organisation treating children with disruptive behaviours, and had a one-year-old at home. The focus of my PhD was originally on a therapy that aimed to improve child behaviour and the parent-child attachment relationship in toddlers (though the thesis… Continue reading The PraiseYourChild blog- how did we get here? || El blog “Elogia a tu hijo”: ¿cómo llegamos aquí?
I have read a few parenting books and these are the six that I often recommend to my friends. “The First Six Weeks” and “After the First Six Weeks” by Midwife Cath We are a family of podcast listeners (I was surprised to learn that not everyone is on board the podcast train!). When I… Continue reading Parenting books I recommend to my friends II Libros para padres que recomiendo a mis amigos
As a reader of this blog, you are likely aware that we are big believers in praising children, especially when using labelled praises. You might be less aware that experts have debated the effects that praise may have on children for decades. Research shows that praise positively affects children, including improving behaviour, motivation, and academic… Continue reading Praising children: ‘To praise’ or ‘not to praise’ is not the right question || Elogiar a los niños: ‘Elogiar’ o ‘no elogiar’ no es la pregunta correcta.
Sound sensitivity refers to a decrease in sound tolerance to normal environmental sounds (e.g., vacuuming, blending, coffee machine, hand dryers). While sound sensitivity in adults, also known as hyperacusis, is rare, you may need to see a health professional for treatment. It is not uncommon for young children to react to loud noises (e.g., crying,… Continue reading Sound sensitivity in children || Sensibilidad al ruido en los niños.
Playing with building blocks has many benefits, including improving abstract thought, symbolic representation, understanding of rules, and spatial awareness (1, 2). Building block play also requires gross and fine motor skills (involves coordination of large and small body movements) and is a fun activity for children, especially if their parents play with them. It is… Continue reading Building block play || Juego con bloques de construcción
What is praise? Praise is an expression of approval for something or someone. There are two different types of praises: General praise and labelled praise (also often referred to as behaviour specific praise)[1]. General praise does not specify the desired behaviour that led to the praise [1]. Examples of general praise include “good job”, “excellent… Continue reading Why we love labelled praise || Por qué amamos los elogios etiquetados
Labelled praise Children crave attention, especially from their parents. They therefore tend to engage in behaviors that they find result in the most attention from their parents, sometimes these behaviors can be inappropriate/undesirable behaviors (e.g., banging objects until mum/dad pays attention to them, pulling leaves of beloved plants). Inappropriate/undesired behaviors are not easy to ignore… Continue reading Labelled praise || Elogios etiquetados
Puzzles are a new obsession in our household; we now have a whole collection of toddler- and preschool-age-appropriate puzzles (and nowhere to store them). Puzzles are a great way to keep your child occupied and give them a sense of accomplishment once they get the hang of the process of completing a puzzle. Scientific research… Continue reading Playing with Puzzles || Jugando con rompecabezas
We often think about the behaviours we want our children to do less off (e.g., throwing, arguing, screaming), and agonise over how to reduce those behaviours. We forget to consider the behaviours we want our children to engage in more. Thinking about behaviours you want your children to do more off will help you notice… Continue reading Praising prosocial behaviours || Elogio de los comportamientos prosociales
Doing grocery shopping (or any shopping) with a toddler/s can be challenging and it may be of no surprise that you may be saying things like “stop touching that”, “put that back”, or “no you can’t have that”. Shopping with a toddler/s doesn’t always have to be stressful and there are some strategies you can… Continue reading Shopping with toddlers… because sometimes you have to… || Ir de compras con niños pequeños… porque a veces no hay otra opción…
PRAISE YOUR CHILD || ALABA A TU HIJO 