Category Archives: parenting

Climate superheroes: 7 steps kids can take to become confident change-makers

I’m delighted today to welcome Stef Rozitis, one of my favourite parenting + politics thinkers, to help us help our kids tackle the climate crisis with calm confidence.  Stef is an early childhood teacher and academic, a climate change activist and a mother of some really thoughtful men who cared about the world even when […]

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56+ magic phrases to end food battles with picky eaters - and the science behind the magic words! | Sacraparental.com

Gentle Parenting Tips: 56+ Magic Phrases to End Food Battles with Picky Eaters, and the Science Behind Trusting Kids to Eat What they Need

There is a special kind of heartbreak a parent feels when the meal they have cooked is described as ‘yucky,’ or refused altogether. If you are struggling with the stress, sadness and discouragement of battling with picky eaters (of whatever age!), this post is here to reassure you and help you and your family relax and […]

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Fabulous Children's Picture Books with Diverse Characters | Sacraparental.com

Fabulous Children’s Picture Books with Diverse Representation

Have you ever noticed that all the animals in the popular children’s lift-the-flap book Dear Zoo are male? Every single one. It’s not an isolated example. Looking at almost 6,000 children’s books published between 1900 and 2000, the study, led by Janice McCabe, a professor of sociology at Florida State University, found that males are central characters […]

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13 fabulous children's TV shows that pass The Maisy Test for sexism, and give kids a diverse range of characters to relate to and learn from. See the full list at Sacraparental.com

13 Fabulous Kids’ TV Shows that Pass the Maisy Test and Have Other Great Features, Too

We’re still swimming in sexism Here’s a quick exercise for you: grab a pen and paper, or open a document on a device. Briefly note down the ten or so kids’ television shows that you see or hear most of when you are around kids. You could include kids’ movies as well if you like. What shows […]

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A month of unschooling in photos: What did learning look like in June for my unschooling kids? | Sacraparental.com

A Month of Unschooling (or ‘Phew! They ARE learning heaps!’)

‘If they’re not being assessed and tested, how will you know if they’re learning?’ ‘What do they do all day?’ Today I’m not meaning to go into why ‘testing’ can be counter-productive to learning (but if that catches your eye, please do read Jolisa Gracewood’s bleak report of US testing terror and read or listen to […]

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12 Reasons to welcome kids in church + tips for how to actually do it! | Sacraparental.com

12 Reasons to Welcome Kids in Church + Tips for Actually Doing It

Sure, kids don’t belong everywhere. They’re not a symphony orchestra’s target audience (except when they are). The tense whispers of snooker commentators suggest that toddlers wouldn’t be welcome at tournament finals. But babies and children are legally entitled to be all sorts of places that aren’t always built with them in mind, including, say, courthouses […]

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Making Parenting Easier: Tips, Laughs, and Being Kind to Yourself

Parenting is flipping hard work, yes? You’re responsible for, as my friend Jess says, tiny sociopaths. They’re cute, sure, but they have little in the way of empathy, self-control, or social graces. You get no sick leave. You’re operating on so little sleep that serious reading now means clicking ‘see more’ on Facebook. Communities like […]

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Gentle Parenting Tips: 26 Things to Say to Kids Instead of ‘Stop’, ‘Don’t’ and Other Commands

Gentle parenting? I have a love/hate relationship with labels and jargon, in any field. I don’t like being put in a labelled box – who does? – but in a vast, Googleable world, knowing what keyword fits your life situation can be really handy for finding like-minded people or tailored advice. ‘Gentle parenting‘ is a natural […]

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The Maisy Test [Quick Guide]: 4 Questions to Expose Sexism in Kids’ TV Shows and Movies

Wow! What a lovely response to my post on sexism in kids’ TV shows and movies (the whole post is here and it’ll make your blood boil!) Thomas suggested on Twitter that I make a quick reference guide in a separate post. And Tricia suggested on Facebook that she’d love a poster for her kids […]

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