Nurse Sparkles

🎵 Lyrics of song: I never keep a secret by Lida Mankovski

I never keep a secret
from my mom and from my dad.
They love me and protect me,
and I know they won't be mad.

If someone tells me, Shh
don't tell anyone
I go straight to my mom and dad
and tell them what was done.

My parents always love me,
and they've loved me from the start.
So secrets don't stay with me
they go straight to mom and dad. ❤️

Follow me. I will keep finding the little things that make parenting make so much more sense. ❤️

A little tip for parents:

Teach your kids that in your family, we do not use the word secret. We use the word surprise.

If anyone ever tells you to keep a secret, you must tell Mum or Dad.

A secret is something someone asks you to hide.
A surprise is something we keep for a little while, then happily reveal.

And remember, this applies to us too. We do not ask our children to keep secrets for us.

How many of us are trying to become this “perfect mum” that does not even exist?

The house is clean.
The kids are happy.
Dinner is healthy.
Everyone is emotionally okay.
You never lose your patience.
You make time for everything and somehow still have time for yourself.

Honestly… who decided this was normal?

I am done chasing it.

And if you are too, follow me. ❤️

Because this page is for the mum who is figuring it out as she goes. The mum who gets it wrong, apologises, learns and tries again.

And I want to know…

What is one thing you thought you had to do perfectly to be a “good mum”?

Tell me below. I have a feeling we are going to realise we have all been carrying the same pressure. 🤍

One of the easiest ways to encourage more language is to stop making your toddler feel like they are being tested.

Instead of constantly asking:

“What is this?”
“What colour is it?”
“What does a cow say?” 😂

Try making comments about what they are already interested in.

When there is less pressure to perform, there are more natural opportunities for them to listen, copy and eventually use the words themselves.

Think connection before correction.

You are not trying to get your toddler to perform for you. You are giving their little brain more language to work with.

And honestly, you can do this while making toast, driving to childcare or watching them throw the same toy across the room for the 97th time.

Parenting does not need another lesson plan. 😂

Save this for the next time you catch yourself asking question after question.

One little tip turned cleanup from “WHO MADE THIS MESS?!” into a full blown concert 😂🎶

https://youtu.be/cMMGRuiN4bU?si=c-dExmXJt-jMC0JM

Apparently my kids do not hate cleaning.

They just needed a soundtrack. 🤦🏽‍♀️😂

Try this and thank me later… or at least enjoy the 3 minutes of peace while they clean. 😂

Follow me for more tiny parenting hacks that make mum life a little easier. 🤍

When children are scared or overwhelmed, they may not be able to think clearly about who they should go to for help.

That is why I want you to have this conversation before they ever need it.

Parenting comes with lots of conversations we don’t know we need to have until it is too late. Follow me as I am sharing the little things I have learnt and am learning while on this journey.

Do not simply tell your child, “These are your safe people.”

Ask them:
“If you ever felt scared, worried or something did not feel right, who could you go to?”

Let them name their own people.

It does not have to be five. It can be two, three, four, or as many trusted adults as they can think of.
And remember, your child does not have to feel comfortable talking to every safe person about everything.

They might talk to one person about school, another about friendships, and someone else about something that is worrying them.

That is why having a few trusted adults matters.
If they cannot talk to one person about something, they have another person they can turn to.

The goal is not to create a list of “perfect” adults.
The goal is to give your child options.

Because sometimes the hardest part of speaking up is not having something to say, it is not knowing who you can say it to.

Send this to another parent who needs to have this conversation too. 🤍

Want your toddler to talk more? Try this 👇

When they point to something they want, hold it, say the word, and wait a few seconds before giving it to them.

You are giving them a little opportunity to communicate, without turning it into a lesson.

This is Episode 3 of my Speech & Language Series, where I share simple, everyday things you can do to support your child’s communication and language development. 🗣️❤️

Follow along for the next one!

#̭parentingtips