The Ed Psych Clinic

02/11/2025

When a child says “I hate you” or “I’m dumb,” they’re showing you their pain, not the truth.

“I hate you” often means “I’m overwhelmed and don’t know how to cope.”
“I’m dumb” often means “I feel like I’ve failed and I need reassurance that I’m still enough.”

Both are cries for connection, not correction.
Your calm presence helps them feel safe enough to see themselves differently. ❤️

📖 From my book, Guidance from The Therapist Parent — available at www.thetherapistparent.com and on Amazon.

22/10/2025

Bravery isn’t the absence of fear - it’s feeling the big, scary feelings and choosing to show up anyway.

Our kids don’t need to be fearless to be courageous. They can feel anxious, uncertain, overwhelmed… and still take that brave step forward 💛🌱

04/10/2025

02/10/2025

📱Parents sometimes feel pressure to give their child a smartphone early. A smartphone gives access to the whole internet, which brings opportunities but also challenges that many children simply aren’t ready to manage. By delaying, you’re giving your child valuable time to grow in maturity and learn important lessons about real-life relationships, problem-solving, and self-control before facing the pressures of technology.

📚Children also need guidance and education on issues they’ll likely encounter online—such as po*******hy, cyberbullying, and protecting private information. When parents wait, they create more space to teach these lessons gradually in safe, age-appropriate ways, rather than reacting after a problem has already happened.

🧠Research also shows that heavy use of social media and unrestricted internet access is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem in young people. Delaying smartphone use helps protect your child’s mental health, giving them more time to build resilience and confidence offline.

✨And here’s a bonus: waiting reduces the amount of parenting energy required to constantly monitor apps, screen time, and online behavior. Instead of feeling like the “tech police,” you get to spend more time enjoying your child and guiding them through positive, real-world experiences.

In short, saying “not yet” isn’t holding your child back—it’s helping them move forward with stronger skills, healthier habits, and a better foundation for when they are ready.

➡️Want to know more about research? Comment “Techsafe” and we will send you our blog

📍Think your kid is ready and want a free tech contract? Comment “Techcontract” and we will send it over!

30/09/2025

A gentle reminder this school holidays - it’s okay for your kids to have lazy days at home!

Slow days at home aren’t wasted - in fact, some of the best school holiday memories may come from it.

🌱 Boredom invites creativity.

🌱 Unstructured time builds independence.

🌱 Rest is just as important as adventure.

🌱 Play with siblings builds bonds and conflict resolution skills.

So many positives to consider!

This is a lesson I’ve learned slowly over many years of school holidays. From overplanning and overscheduling in the earlier years… to embracing the flow, finding balance, and letting go of the pressure. It makes for a happier and more restful holidays not only for the kids, but also for us.

24/09/2025

Energy givers and takers and sleep. How do you switch the takers off for the night? What are your energy givers and takers? 🔋🪫

14/09/2025

As parents, our instinct is to rush in and help out kids - to rescue, to fix, to problem solve. But often, what they need from us is far simpler:

🌱 Someone to listen.
💬 Someone to say, “I hear you.”
🧘 Someone to hold space while they untangle their own thoughts.

Validation before solutions.
Presence before advice.

That’s how we help them build resilience—not by immediately pulling them out of the storm, but by sitting with them in it.

09/09/2025

“I can’t do it” - it feels heavy when we hear our kids say this, but think of it not as them giving up, but rather, reaching out. With a little help, we can reframe this into “I can’t do it yet”. That tiny but important word - yet - teaches our kids that their brains aren’t fixed and they can change and grow with effort and practice. Listen out and encourage them to add on the word ‘yet’ the next time they face a challenge 🌱✨

27/08/2025