UpBright

I have reached 200 followers! Thank you for your continued support. I could not have done it without each of you. 🙏🤗🎉

Just in time for the webinar today

Encouraging positive relationships among siblings We all want our children to get along and form strong bonds with each other, but what happens when they have different personalities or interests? As a parent, constantly mediating conflicts or forcing your children to interact positively can be frustrating and stressful. However, fostering a positi...

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool! ✨

They are positive statements that fight back against negative thoughts. Though we wish it weren’t the case, many children face struggles with mental health and battle negative thoughts. Our children need to learn how to process their emotions, while not letting those emotions dictate their behavior.

Positive affirmations can provide the language children lack to speak truth and positivity to themselves. Self-affirmations help build self esteem and can teach children how to redirect negative thoughts into more positive ones. 😍

Initially, positive affirmations may feel a little weird and forced, but why not push through the awkward and try a few of these affirmations with your kids this week?! With time, practice and your help, their unease will subside and they’ll begin to reap the benefits. If you try it, let me know how it goes in the comments! 👇

Do you find yourself perpetuating gender based stereotypes in your home? 🤔

The idea that mums are good at parenting and dads fix things around the house could not be further from the truth! Mums and dads alike are equally capable of providing love and support for their children as well as taking care of household duties like fixing things around the house or cooking meals for the family — often times both at once!💪

👉 This is just one of the parenting stereotypes I share in my most recent blog post. Read it on my website here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/7-common-stereotypes-about-parenting

Here’s a fun activity that you can share with your kids this Valentine’s Day!

❤️ Empathy Hearts: ❤️

Think about a time when you felt a little sad or lonely.
What kinds of things did others do to help you to feel cared for?
Here are different ways friends can show kindness, which we are calling “Empathy Hearts” in this activity.

❤️ Kind Words- kind or reassuring words from your friends
❤️ Time Together- spending time together doing something you like
❤️ Thoughtful Giving- getting a small gift that is meaningful to your friendship
❤️ Comforting Presence- holding hands or sitting nearby someone to give comfort
❤️ Helpful Acts- performing small acts of kindness for your friend

What kind of Empathy Heart do you have?

1. Using the Empathy Hearts sheet, you and your child can create your own Empathy Hearts.

2. Draw and write the ways you prefer friends or family to show empathy.

3. When you are done, take time to share your Empathy Hearts with your child.

4. Display your Empathy Hearts in your home to help remind your family how you can best support each other with empathy.

👇 Let us know in the comments, if you have any other fun, positive activities you like to do with your kids on Valentine’s day.

What are the most common stereotypes you hear about parenting? 🤔

It seems that everywhere you turn, people have something to say about parenting. Whether they’re sharing their own experiences or passing judgment on others, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the noise. To help make sense of it all, check out my most recent blog post for seven common stereotypes about parenting!

👉 Read the blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/7-common-stereotypes-about-parenting

The teenage brain 🧠 is a work in progress. Young people are dealing with social, emotional and cognitive changes that are not yet developed. Parents can help by listening, staying calm, and being good role models.

👉 If you need support as you navigate the teenage years or any other stage of parenting, DM me today to see how I can help!

There are always bad days and bad phases in parenting, and it’s OK to talk about them. It doesn’t help any of us to pretend everything is perfect! If you ever feel stuck or need help along the way, it’s always the right answer to reach out to your support system. ✨

Are you in the thick of the teenage years? 🤔

Raising a teenager can be an adventure, to say the least. It's no secret that teenage brains are wired differently from those of adults. With hormones raging and emotions running high, it can be difficult for parents to know how to interact with their teens.

In my most recent blog post I've put together a few tips on navigating the teenage brain 🧠 and providing your teen with the best possible support during these turbulent years.

👉 Read my most recent blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/navigating-the-teenage-brain

I had such a wonderful time at the Parenthood Unconference last month! ✨

Getting to meet people whose books made a great impact on the way I parent and influenced the creation of UpBright - priceless 🚀

I know I'll never know everything there is to know, which is why I'm committed to being a lifelong learner! What about you? What sorts of things do you want to keep growing in and learning in the years to come? 🤔 Let me know in the comments!

It is nearly here – Christmas! 🎄 ✨

As fun as this season can be, it might also be a very tiring and anxious time 😬, especially for younger children. Being thrown out of the balance and routine is always stressful, even if it is a good and positive stress, and even if it is Christmas.

So, in my most recent blog post, I'm sharing FIVE 🖐 tips to help you manage any Christmas meltdowns at home during the festive period.

👉 Read my most recent blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/5-tips-to-manage-christmas-meltdowns

Today is UNICEF's World Children's Day!

The theme of this year's is equality and inclusion.

It's a great day to talk to your kids about being a good friend and including everyone - an attitude that will help them thrive their whole life and make our world a better place!

Making new friends (especially after the pandemic) can be hard. It may feel
overwhelming to your child after living through disruption to think about their
friendships. Here are some tips for supporting your child:

✅ Take time for reflection and acknowledge the emotions we are having.
✅ Practice self-empathy. Learning to take care of our emotional wellbeing can help us have healthy relationships.
✅ Cultivate open communication with your children. Open communication between a child and a trusted adult can help them take a social risk like inviting a new friend to play.
✅ Tell your child that it’s normal to feel uncomfortable at first being around people outside of your home again.
✅ Let your child know that they aren’t alone, they are ok, and that many other children are also trying to make new friends and reconnect.

I hope you have a moment to connect with your children over the idea of friendship today and do get in touch if I can be of any help!

All About Empathy!

Researchers have learned there's more to empathy than we first understood. Here's a quick review of the 3 different kinds of empathy.

✅ Cognitive Empathy: thinking or imagining another person's point of view or experience. Example: "putting yourself in another person's shoes."

✅ Emotional Empathy: Sharing feelings or emotions with others. Example: When we are moved to tears by a book or movie because we are connected to that character.

✅ Behavioral Empathy: Moving into action to respond to help someone. Example: Sitting with a friend who is alone.

Talking about and encouraging the different types of empathy can help us be better parents and help us guide our children to improved social and emotional health.

If you need help in this area, DM me today!

✨All of us want to feel loved 💜 and safe in our relationships. Truly the most important thing we can give our kids is a safe, loving home. ✨

Do you have a tween?

A person who is not yet a teenager and no longer still the little sweet child they once were. Mood swings, bursts of anger, withdrawal, arrogance, desire for independence and emotional separation and lack of logical thinking are all signs of the tween age.

If you're struggling to know how to handle the tweens in your life, I offer 3 tips that might help in my most recent blog post.

👉 Read my blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/taming-tweens-tips-for-dealing-with-11-13-year-olds

🎃 Halloween can be a scary time for kids, especially young ones. 🎃

Here are a few tips for making Halloween a little less scary for kids. Many of these are useful for dealing with fear more generally!

1️⃣ Talk about it

Have a conversation with your child about Halloween: "Halloween is a day where kids and grownups like to play dress up. During this time of year, we are going to see lots of costumes and decorations - some silly, some spooky. Just remember, they are all pretend." Picture books can also help kids understand what to expect on Halloween.

2️⃣ More Fun, Less Spooky

You might consider planning milder, more age-appropriate halloween events during the day and avoid going out at night altogether. Alternatively, you can trick or treat at family member of friend's houses where you know your child will be more comfortable.

3️⃣ Facing Fears

You may encounter some scary moments 👻 during Halloween, despite your best efforts to avoid them. It's helpful to teach your child some strategies to help them deal with their fears: taking slow, deep breaths, using their imagination to think pleasant thoughts, or remembering positive things to say to themselves when they feel scared.

4️⃣ At the End of the Evening

Halloween can be very fun and exciting, but it can also be overwhelming for children. Be sure to give your child extra time in the evening to wind down. If they are feeling scared about bedtime, give them a high-protein snack to counteract some of the sugar, spend some time reading non-spooky stories together, and get in some extra snuggles! 🛌

I hope these tips help you have a fun and Happy Halloween 🎃 👻 this year!!

Just like other skills in life, dealing with emotions and developing emotional intelligence is a skill that can take some coaching!

Children develop strong emotional regulation and emotional intelligence when they have people in their life modeling and encouraging those skills.

Here are some tips about how you can be an emotion coach for your child:

1️⃣Be aware of your child's emotions - just pay attention!

2️⃣ View emotional moments as opportunities for teaching.

3️⃣ Listen with empathy and validate your child's feelings. If you want your child to be a good listener, YOU need to be a good listener!

4️⃣ Help your child label emotions with words - there are tons of books out there that can help them learn this vocabulary too!

5️⃣ Set limits while helping your child deal with upset appropriately.

👉 If this is an area where you are struggling, reach out today to see how I could help! 👈

Today is so I want to share some tips on how parents can help support a child's mental health!

1️⃣ Model healthy coping skills
2️⃣ Watch for behavior changes in your children
3️⃣ Cultivate open and honest communication
4️⃣ Create routines and boundaries at home
5️⃣ Provide plenty of positive feedback, support, and encouragement
6️⃣ Talk about emotions and feelings regularly

❓How do you feel you support your children's mental health? Is this an area that you could improve in? Share your thoughts in the comments! 👇

👉 I went in depth about all of these tips in my most recent blog post! Read it here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/supporting-your-child-s-mental-health

✨ It's important to model healthy coping skills! ✨

One of the most important ways you can help your child learn to deal with their emotions in a healthy way by modeling coping skills at home. Talk through activities such as yoga, deep breathing, using stress balls, making art, going for balls or whatever other (healthy) ways you have for dealing with stress.

This is just one of the tips from my recent blog post about how to support your child's mental health!

👉 Read the full blog post and get all of the tips here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/supporting-your-child-s-mental-health

What do you do when your child doesn't want to go to school? 😭

Sooner or later in your child's school career, you're likely to hear the phrase: "I don't want to go to school." Any parent should be ready for it on any day. There are lots of reasons for reluctance: superficial (got up on the wrong foot and it's cold) to deep internal processes related to school fights, quarrels or even bullying.

In my most recent blog post I'm sharing tips on how to deal with this situation and other tips to adapting to school - whether for the first time or back again after a long summer holiday break.

👉 Read it here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/adapting-to-school

We wish our deepest condolences to the Royal Family and the British people who are not only mourning their beloved Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

In today's busy world, it's easy to forget the basics of childhood - adventure, sunshine and the great outdoors! I challenge you to get your family outside this week and report back to let me know how it goes! ✨

When was the last time you really PLAYED outside? 🤔

Don't let yourself believe you are too old to play outdoors. It's beneficial for your kids, and your own mental and physical health to get outside, enjoy the outdoors and let go of the things that may be stressing you out from your daily adult life.

❓ What is your favourite outdoor family activity? Let me know in the comments below! 👇

Has your back to school come a bit too quickly or are you counting down the minutes?

Adapting to school (for the first time, or just returning after break) can take a month or even more, and not just for children, but also for ourselves, the parents. Being prepared with some routines will help the transition back to school to go much more smoothly. Here are some ideas to help:

⭐️ Preparation for school starts in the evening - prepare the child's clothing and all of the things they need to bring with them the next day. Make sure to get to bed early as stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol - which will already be present in large quantities - are exacerbated by a lack of sleep.

⭐️ May the mornings be good - A good mood in the morning is the key to a good day. This is easiest to do when mom and dad are in a good mood and there is no mad rush. So, set the alarm 15 minutes earlier and have an early morning chat and cuddle, or even a bit of light exercise, stretching or meditation.

⭐️ Make a morning routine and stick to it - The morning routine should be repetitive day after day so children know what is expected of them. Another good rule is no gadgets or TV in the morning.

👉 These are just a few of the tips I shared in my blog post titled "Adapting to School" you can find it on my blog here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/adapting-to-school

⭐Todays Tip ⭐

We can all benefit from breathing exercises! Learning this simple deep breathing practice will help relieve stress in both your mind and body. Practice with a real candle to help your children really understand what they need to do. Then, anytime your kids need a bit of a calm down, you can remind them to pretend to blow out a candle!

📥Download our full pack of 31 Positive Parenting tips and activities like these at our website here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/free-downloads

❓ What were your favourite games to play outdoors as a child?

When I was a child we spent many hours playing outside with neighborhood children - from daylight until dark. Now, unfortunately many children spend most of their hours inside, behind screens. What do you think they lose with this switch?

Let's go back to childhood and finish up the summer by going back to some of our favourite, classic childhood games. In my most recent blog post, I'm sharing 10 outdoor games that will help your kids have the best summer holiday!

👉 Read my most recent blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/10-outdoor-games-for-the-best-summer-holidays

Do your kids play outside? 🤔

Think back to your own summer holidays when you were a child. Most of the time, we were spending time outdoors and playing in the yard. Let's spend some time remembering these popular summer games and how to play them, and maybe you can inspire your own children to get out from in front of the screens 💻 and play!

In my most recent blog post, I'm sharing 10 classic outdoor games that you may (or may not) remember from you own childhood. I hope you are able to prioritize some outdoor time with your kids before the end of summer holidays! ✨

👉 Read my most recent blog post here: https://www.upbrightglobal.com/post/10-outdoor-games-for-the-best-summer-holidays

Are screen-time battles a daily affair during your children's school holidays📱 📺 💻 ???

If your kids are like mine, they'd spend the whole day in front of the tablet or television screen if I'd let them! But, I know how important it is for them to use their whole brain, so I try to keep them busy with other activities. It also seems like everyone's mood is better when we have less screen time!

If you are feeling at a loss about how to keep the kids busy without resorting to screens - here's a few of my favourites ideas. Save this post for a day when you need some inspo! If all else fails, just get out of the way, and let them learn to entertain themselves!

Do you have a favourite screen-free activity to share? Drop it in the comments below! 👇