Bath & Bristol Parenting Hub CIC

21/10/2026

I'm offering 1-1 parenting sessions and courses online at the moment. Availability from November/December onwards.

https://parentinghub.co.uk

15/10/2026

A frequent concern I hear from parents is that a 'time out' consequence doesn't work because they either won't go or refuse to stay. Whilst this isn't ideal, there is a way to turn this around...

Firstly, check you're calm and if not, take some breaths.
Then, go back 48hrs and talk to your child about the routine, how it works and what's expected. (yes I know!).

If they won't go, don't chase or drag, be clear in just a few words what the expectation is. When they come back, take them or clear tell them the expectation again.

Nothing happens until the Time Out is done. Life is in limbo.

The most important thing is you don't give up and they do their Time Out, even if it takes 2 hours to get them there. Next time they'll realise that they wasted 2 hours trying to get out of it, so they'll be more likely to comply.

If they get up or leave too early, calmly take them back and start the clock again.

It's about teaching them that you can be calm, consistent and there's no way to wriggle out of it.

09/10/2026

Does your face light up when your child walks in the room?

One of Oprah's greatest lessons in the '90s was that everybody just...

03/10/2026

I've just completed Level 2 DDP - Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapy.

It's so clear to me that the parent-child connection is so key to understanding and repairing what might, on the surface, look like difficult behaviour, defiance, doing it on purpose... For parents it can be so confusing.

Slow it down. Be curious. Keep compassion. In there is probably some fear, anger, shame, confusion, low self-worth.

Be there with them.

27/09/2026

Yes, I know - rewards charts - you tried it once and it worked for a bit then it didn't.

From working with hundreds of parents this is what I've found:

1. stickers or smily faces are a novelty to start with but not enough to sustain the habit change.
2. the reward got forgotten or wasn't good enough.
3. someone or everyone kind of forgot about it and it therefore wasn't stuck to consistently.

Probably number 3 is the most common.

In short - they can work very well, but there are a number of things you have to get right if you're going to make a success of it.

Get in touch: https://parentinghub.co.uk

21/09/2026

Ignoring doesn't mean letting your child do what they want, and it doesn't necessarily mean 'pick your battles' as that can create inconsistency and confusion. It means - decide if ignoring is the best strategy for teaching a better way.

Remember to give your attention when it stops!

https://parentinghub.co.uk

15/09/2026

Let's be realistic - parenting isn't easy but it can and should be fun, enjoyable and feel good (most of the time).

A parenting course like Triple P or Time Out for Parents has the potential to turn things around for the positive.

Get in touch: https://parentinghub.co.uk

09/09/2026

Lots of schools banning phones at the moment and Meta in the news too for their intentially addictive app features...

Do you have a tech agreement with your child / children?

Get in touch if you'd like some help with this.

https://parentinghub.co.uk

04/09/2026

Parenting should be fun and enjoyable. It's not always going to be, but it should be most of the time.

Doing a course and putting in place new strategies, which over time become embedded, can increase the positives and decrease the negatives - for everyone.

https://parentinghub.co.uk

29/08/2026

Triple P recommends the following:

1. get your child's attention
2. calmly and clearly give your instruction
3. wait 5 seconds (don't count out loud) for compliance
4. ask again if it's a start instruction and wait 5 seconds
5. praise compliance
6. if your instruction is not followed, put in place a consequence that's proportionate and immediate.

I'd add a few more thoughts...

1. make sure your body language and tone are all suggestive that the instruction will be followed. Keep it light and calm if you can.
2. be playful if you can, e.g. I image those socks may walk across the bedroom and jump out of the window if we don't grab them soon..
3. giving an instruction well doesn't guarantee it'll be followed but it gives the best chance, alongside the other Triple P strategies.

https://parentinghub.co.uk