The Benefits Of Cold Showers: An Inconvenient Truth
It’s funny how we believe the things we want to believe. For instance, when I heard that red wine, chocolate and sex were good for the heart, I didn’t bother checking the science behind those claims. But each time someone suggested that taking cold showers could also be good for our health, I selectively parked […]
“I Have To Praise You Like I Should”: How to praise children the right way
First things first Before we start on the topic of how to praise children, let’s make one thing clear. Any form of praise is better (or at least, less dangerous) than criticism. Far more damage has been done to kids from overly critical parents than will ever be caused by too much praise. So if […]
The Feeling Wheel: an awesome tool for emotional literacy
Maybe emotions are like colours? Recently, I found myself discussing colours with my partner. We had decided to paint the living room and were choosing between various shades of blue. Whilst she was adamant of the differences, to me, they all looked very similar. And what’s more, we were discussing colours I had never even […]
11 Mindfulness Exercises To Do With Your Kids
What is mindfulness and why is it important for kids? Mindfulness is the ability to focus our attention in the present moment and be fully aware of our thoughts, emotions, senses and surroundings. By being aware of these things, we can choose how we respond to them, rather than just reacting on autopilot. This is […]
Postnatal Depression In Men: How to spot it and what to do about it
Postnatal depression in men is real It is commonly known that women can experience depression or anxiety during pregnancy and early parenthood. What is less well known (and less discussed) is that men are also at risk At least 1 in 10 new dads experience depression or anxiety related to the arrival of a new baby. […]
5 Classic Short Books You Can Read In A Day
How to get more fiction – fast! I do a lot of reading. It’s a great way to learn. I’ve made a habit of reading every day as part of my morning routine. So I’m getting through a lot of books at the moment. Most of them are related to the topics I cover on […]
12 Life Lessons From Running My First Marathon
The Hard Thing Rule Have you heard of The Hard Thing Rule? It’s a concept developed by Angela Duckworth, who’s an expert on the subject of grit. She uses this rule with her family and recommends it to parents who want to develop gritty kids. The rule has three parts. Here’s how it works…. Everyone […]
Empathy: Why it’s important and how to develop it
We hear the word empathy used a lot these days. We’re told it can make us better dads, better husbands and better leaders. Barack Obama, a vocal advocate for empathy, has even suggested the big E could be the secret ingredient for world peace. With such high expectations for empathy, I thought it was worth […]
Habit Stacking: The secret trick for remembering to do things
Why is it so hard to remember to do things? Have you ever tried to adopt a new habit – something really small that seems so simple, like drinking more water, reading more books or flossing your teeth? Or maybe you just want to remember to do something important, like calling a friend, sending a […]
The 4-7-8 breathing technique: How to do it and why
The simple things in life are often the most important. And you would think that nothing is simpler or more important than breathing. But as it turns out, breathing is not as simple as it seems. Or put another way, there’s more than one way to breathe! Breathing is one of those critical processes that […]