Littlelifesteps

Six weeks together, or longer for some of my private schools
sharing everything from the last biscuit to the iPad charger.
Of course it gets scratchy.

Turning the fight into a shared "problem" rather than a blame game does something quietly clever.
It takes the heat off each child individually and gives them a job to do together instead.
That shift, from "you're against me" to "we're a team solving this", is the beginning of real conflict resolution.

It won't stop every squabble. But it might just shorten a few of them.
Sue x

P.S. If sibling conflict feels constant rather than occasional, it's usually not really about the toy, it's worth looking at what's underneath it.🙂

"You've got loads of toys" makes total sense to say.

There are options everywhere. Surely one of them will do.

But a child standing in front of a full toy box still saying "I'm bored" usually isn't short on options.
They're short on movement.
The restlessness isn't a lack of ideas, it's a body that's got energy with nowhere to go, and no amount of toys fixes that if the wiggles haven't been let out first.

Give the body the job first, run, race, jump, carry something heavy.

The imagination tends to switch back on once that restless feeling has somewhere to land.

Give it a go,

Sue x

The school holidays are here.

Some parents love it as it means the stress of mornings and school run is over.

Some parents dread them as its a juggle with work.

It can also mean boredom,
sibling squabbles, and
wobbly bedtimes as out of routine,

So this week,

I'm doing a little holiday version of Thursday's Tiny Shift.

Same idea, same one small swap you can make, just aimed at the stuff that actually comes up when routine goes out the window for six weeks.

No new routines to build.

No pressure to fill every gap.

Just a few tiny language shifts that make the wobbly bits a little smoother.

Look out for them this week 👀

Sue x

If you've got a holiday moment you'd love a tiny shift for,
drop it below or as a message on and I might be able to create a tiny shift for it. Working with children for 41 years I have many ideas.🙂👍

This weeks Thursday tiny shift
The goodbye note trick, great for transitions.

I had a little boy who we wrote a note to his favourite dinosaur before nursery.
We read it out loud together to the dinosaur, then he choose to carry the note with him in the car and all the way into nursery.

Walked through the door calm and happy.

Saying goodbye to their toys is one of the ideas from my

Transitions booklet inside the Parenting Hub.

If drop-offs are hard in your house, come and have a look.

Link in bio. 🧡

Sue x

This message made me smile so much.

It didn't come after a dramatic breakthrough.
No crisis.
No turning point.

Just a mum quietly realising she'd been enough all along.

She called herself a fixer.
When her little boy Ron had wobblers, she'd panic , convinced she didn't have the tools, that she was out of her depth.

She wasn't. She just couldn't see it yet.

We worked on the small things.
The language.
The pauses.
Letting him do more for himself.
Responding instead of reacting.
Learning that not every wobble needs fixing sometimes a child just needs to vent, and a parent who can sit with that.

And her confidence grew.
And when her confidence grew, Ron felt it.

That's not a coincidence.
That's how this works.

"I've definitely grown in confidence with how I deal with Ron and that alone has helped him."

If you're a fixer who's feeling out of your depth right now, I promise you, you're closer than you think.

Book in a free call to discuss how I can support you 👉 littlelifesteps.com

Sue x

Thursday's Tiny Shift

When you set a boundary with your child and you're not quite sure you mean it,
they know.
Children are incredibly good at reading uncertainty and the moment they sense it the pushing gets harder.
You don't have to be harsh.
You just have to be clear ,calm and actually mean it.

Confidence is the kindest thing you can give them.
More behaviour support inside my parenting hub

Sue

Jessie nearly talked herself out of getting in touch.
First time mum.
Worried about being judged.

Carrying the anxiety that so many parents carry quietly, what will someone think of me if I admit I'm struggling?

Nothing.
That's what I think.
Nothing except that you're doing exactly the right thing.

Her son's behaviour had changed and she couldn't figure out why.
One session later, she understood what was going on and she had a plan.

Tips, activities, things they could do together.
She took five pages of her own notes.
Five pages.

A few weeks on, they'd made huge steps.
His behaviour had improved. And I'd guess her confidence had too.

The bit that gets me most about Jessie's message is right at the start, she had to start the review again because she ran out of room.
That's everything. 😄

If you're a first time parent feeling nervous about reaching out , please know there is no judgement here.

Only support.
👉 littlelifesteps.com

Sue x