To help parents and teachers improve their interactions with small children, and the environments that shape, them through a practical, economics-trained lens.

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Your child can do more than you think

And letting them struggle is the key

It’s definitely easier for you to pull your child’s pants up after the potty, or to slip off their shoes when they’re tired at bath time. But the truth is - they can probably do these things (and a whole lot more) much earlier than you think. And if you let them try (and struggle), you’re giving them something much more valuable than help: autonomy…

The Single Best and Easiest Communication Strategy

How to engage better with children in conversations

Talking to children often slips into an adult-driven Q&A. The simplest way to flip this is to give them the space to lead. You can do this in two simple steps:

Mirror – repeat what they say (word for word), with tone that shows engagement.
Pause – stop talking and give them time to think and respond.
That’s it. Repeat and pause. It encourages kids to think critically, get creative, and take the lead in conversation.

How to help children solve conflict

A simple three-step approach to help build this vital social skill

We’re heading into the South African summer holidays, that magical time of year when we finally step away from our computers and the daily trials of drop-offs and pick-ups to...managing sibling and cousin conflict.

But what I remind myself, and what I encourage you to remind yourself too, is that this time of year, when children are suddenly sharing new spaces, new toys, new routines and new family members, is one of the richest, if not the richest, periods for building social and emotional skills.

If you think back to your own childhood, you’ll probably find that those long summer holidays with siblings and cousins were some of the most formative moments in shaping how you interact with others.

So try to reframe the conflict. Instead of seeing it as endless fighting to break up, see it as valuable practice; social skill-building in real time, with you as the facilitator. To help you make the most of it (or survive it), I’m going to share the strategy we use for managing conflict in our schools.

Choosing to be playful at the precipice

How playfulness can change your days

We’ve all stood at that precipice a million times: you’ve asked your child to put on their school clothes for the eighth time, but they’re still riding around the house pretending they’re off to deliver groceries. A meltdown is incoming (theirs or yours), and you have to make a decision.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed and blowing up in that moment, playfulness can be your solution…

Managing transitions better

The underrated multiplier effect that throughout your day

Imagine you’ve finally set aside a Saturday morning to bake that chocolate cake you’ve been wanting to try for ages. Just as you’re mixing the batter, your partner comes into the kitchen and says abruptly: “Come on, let’s go – we’ve got that lunch with my parents now.”

You’re suddenly confused and frustrated. You had no idea there was a plan, and you’re in the middle of something exciting you had planned and were thoroughly enjoying!

That’s exactly how a child can feel when we abruptly transition them from one activity to another without preparing or guiding them through it.

Small changes in how we manage transitions can have a surprisingly big impact - they multiply across the day, shaping our children’s cooperation, mood, and often the success of what follows.

Read more here: Managing transitions better

Raising kind kids

5 practical ways to teach empathy at home

Social skills are becoming ever more valuable - in the job market, and in life.

Of these, kindness is a particular focus for me this year. It’s something I’m working on both with myself and with my children (though you wouldn’t think so if you saw my toddler shove his brother for the tenth time in a day), and being kind and caring is one of our four core values at Forest Edge.

So I’m kicking off the year by sharing a few practical, teachable ways we can help children build empathy - one of the most foundational social skills.