My Blogs

I love debates on Twitter. Although with just 140 characters to use they can get VERY frustrating! Recently I was having a Twitter debate on enabling teachers to be trained as mental health specialists. It came from an article in the Guardian, New ‘Teach First’ to train teachers as mental health specialists UK charity aims…

I’ve got an oil for that! It might sound a bit ridiculous to say that an essential oil could help a child who has grown up living in a state of fear every day. Even more so if their ‘no-escape’ trauma began before they were born. How can something extracted from a plant help create…

Does work place stress have a ‘peak season?’ Searches on stress and work/life balance slow during the summer and spike again from September. Source: HR Magazine, August 2017 This shouldn’t be surprising as many people take a break in July and August. What is perhaps more surprising are the numbers of people obviously struggling with…

It’s all too easy to accept stress as part of daily life. Feeling stressed is normal, no big deal, just drink, eat/don’t eat, run, take more painkillers/cannabis/cocaine, spend more time on your phone, smoke/vape, shop, tattoo, Botox, work more, more, more, more and you won’t notice it as much. It’s true that some stress is…

Shame to tame Time-out, criticism, telling-off, ‘say sorry’, go to your room, get out of my sight; you just lost your play- date/phone/lift…… All of these rely upon loss of emotional connection with the main caregiver, loss of something helpful or pleasurable, and/or isolation. They connect the child with a sense of not good enough,…

Go back to your cave Dr. Pemberton Yesterday on Facebook and Twitter several people invited me to comment on an appalling article by psychiatrist and journalist Dr. Max Pemberton in the Daily Mail. DR MAX THE MIND DOCTOR: We SHOULD smack naughty children – for their own good It was packed full of rubbish such…

The new arrival! When any young child has to adjust to a new brother or sister joining the family it can be tricky. Initially they may not be too interested, excited and very interested, or they may enthusiastically envelope them with love and attention. All of these can take some diplomatic management as it can…

If a child has been excluded 15 times by the age of 7 is the solution a diagnosis of ADHD and sending them to a setting to have their behaviour changed? The recent Channel 4 documentary Excluded at 7 (available on All 4) looked at a small unit that focuses on changing young children’s behaviour…

A study shared by Laura Henry (who is hosting the second Early Years Safeguarding Conference) on Facebook about domestic violence and child contact arrangements conducted by Child and Families Court Advisers and Support Service (CAFCASS) and Women’s Aid, reminded me of the terrible experiences many families have because of the continuing lack of understanding of…