Willowtree Therapeutic Agency

15/08/2022

07/08/2022

I ongoingly remind myself that one of the greatest gifts I can give to my children is: meeting my own needs, modelling how to meet my own needs, modelling how to speak when I need to meet my own needs without putting that burden *on* my kids. Keeping myself calm, modelling how to keep myself calm, verbalizing the emotions that I'm feeling and what I'm doing to work through them.

Verbalizing all of it is, shockingly, the hardest part. My whole life I've heard from everybody ever just how much I talk, and yet somehow when I get upset or frustrated I start wanting to go absolutely silent and not explain myself. When I'm at my best, I can verbalize to my kids what I'm feeling. Take tiny steps toward trying to wire their brains this way in the first place.

[Image description: A pale yellow background with a green circle surrounding green text written in the center. The text reads, "We learn how to calm down by being shown how to do it and being raised near calm people who are at peace with themselves. No one learns how to calm down by being told to." The image is by Breakthecycle_coaching whose watermark is at the bottom. End description.]

04/08/2022

25/07/2022

26/06/2022

No-agenda listening can feel hard to do

Why?

Because:

We get flicked into rescue / fix it / teaching opportunity mode

Something they say activates a strong emotion in us so we stop listening and start reacting

We jump in as we think we know what they mean

There are many reasons we don’t just listen and let them talk

Simply hold a space while they explore stuff and feelings

Working to be able to listen more fully and without an agenda

Is work you and they will be so so glad that you did

Everyone needs someone in their life who is present, open and agenda-free

Especially as a child

You may never have had that person

But now you can work to become that precious person for your child

21/06/2022

A guide for parents and carers to CAMHS and CYPMHS mental health support for children and young people including how to access and work with services.

19/06/2022

It comes after a poll revealed that under a fifth of parents understood the “unique” importance of development in children under six years old.

10/06/2022

29/05/2022

Let’s stop “awfulizing” kids. Here’s how we can see the best in our babies. [Ray]

27/05/2022

12/05/2022

😖🥺

💛 Credit - Unknown