Nina - Parenting Advisor, Researcher and Inspirational Speaker
Offering 1-to-1 and group support Then you're in the right place.
Are you about to embark on your journey into parenting and welcome a child into your home? Are you already a parent or carer and wanting to start a journey into a more positive parenting approach? We are Nina and Bigi, peaceful parents, learners of wisdom, parenting coaches. We would like to share our knowledge and offer you our support, so you too can have a positive and peaceful relationship with your children in Bristol and beyond.
18/09/2024
I have some spaces on my parenting course this week. Please share with anyone who might benefit.
Over six weeks we will cover:
šEmotion Coaching: how to regulate your emotions and support your child to regulate their's
šPeaceful Communication/resolving conflict
šSetting boundaries which align with your values
šManaging screen use
šUsing play in parenting
šStages of development: understanding what your child needs as they grow
Reach out if you have any questions, 07507523163 x
17/09/2024
How do we raise curious children with fabulous critical thinking skills?
Spend time exploring the world with them. Here are some questions from Bernadette Russell, designed for you to ponder with your child:
ā How should we treat animals?
ā What is love?
ā Is everything connected?
ā Can kindness change the world?
ā Can I think myself happy?
ā What is so great about the world anyway?
ā Whatās the difference between grown ups and children?
ā What is friendship?
Be responsive and curious
If they are in the phase of asking a lot of why questions you can explore and consider these together even if you donāt know the answers. Welcoming your childās questions helps them to retain a sense of wonder and a desire to learn.
04/07/2024
I am offering a parenting course, starting this Sunday at 8pm. It is an opportunity to receive some support in a small group. Ā£40 for the full course which takes place weekly via google meet. Click here to book: https://journeyintoparenting.com/parenting-course/
27/05/2024
Shyness can result from your childās way of perceiving the world. In their imagination some people might seem a little frightening, especially at first. Social situations or visiting another personās house can feel overwhelming. Shy behaviour, such as hiding or staying quiet in the hope no-one will notice you is your childās way of protecting themselves.
Children can appear shy for a variety of reasons. There may be a genetic component. Some children are more sensitive and easily overwhelmed than others. Some of us may be shy because we grew up with harsh and critical parents. This could result in us role modelling shy behaviour for our children - if this is the case perhaps you need support around your own shyness.
Receiving guidance and encouragement in childhood can make a big difference and help lay strong foundations for the future.
You might be wondering how to raise polite and
co-operative humans without punishments?
Many of the people I work with had strict upbringings with parents or teachers who used shaming and blaming tactics to control behaviour. Unfortunately strict parenting leaves scars. Often clients are afraid of repeating their parent's behaviour but find that their home life becomes chaotic: They find themselves shouting and feeling horrible about it.
Notice the thoughts you are having before you lose your temper. What judgements are you making about yourself or your child? Are those judgements true or could they be challenged/updated?
Notice your feelings
Try setting an alarm to go off several times a day. When the alarm rings, notice how you are feeling and take a moment to offer yourself some compassion. Increasing your awareness of your feelings overall will make it more likely that you notice when you are starting to feel stressed.
Look for patterns in your mood
What tends to happen before you notice your stress levels rising? Does it is happen at a similar time of day or when you are feeling unsupported or tired? Are there things you can do to tackle the root causes?
Communicate your feelings
Naming your feelings can help to switch on the thinking part of the brain which can serve to increase your feelings of calm. It can also help your child to empathise with you and provide good role modeling for them: Supporting them to regulate their feelings.
Get more support
More support than you think you need. Parenting is hard and we all deserve support, sometimes it can take courage to ask for help. Reach out if you would like to chat; nina@journeyintoparenting.com.
16/04/2024
Some children love to understand how things work - even their own brain and nervous system.
Understanding this can support them to feel empowered. It helps them to learn what happens when big feelings come up.
I have made a free workbook which looks at what happens in the body when we feel angry, scared or upset. Making the latest neuroscience accessible to children.
It also offers some tips and tools to help your child calm down more easily. I also talk a little bit about what learning new skills is like.
Through this understanding they can learn to regulate their emotions more effectively - a skill they can draw on throughout life.
Jonathan Haidtās new norms of childhood feel like a relief! Although in many ways they are not new. They simply return something which rightfully belongs to our children. Time to play freely. To explore the capacity of their limbs through running and climbing and get lost in games of imagination until they turn up at dinner time grubby and filled with the spirit of adventure. Like many of us did in the 70s and 80s.
It is only through such play that they learn to be capable, competent adults. Play is not frivolous. It is the work of childhood. It is anything but a luxury.
Returning this to our children may take effort on our part. Some of the infrastructure which allowed this to take place has gone. Fewer children outside means fewer parents keeping watch.
My opinion is that as parents we have to be brave, encourage our children to take manageable steps towards independence. Trust them to take responsibility and contribute to their family and community.
We need to raise children who are resilient enough to withstand the challenges life inevitably brings.
āThereās an old saying: āPrepare the child for the road, not the road for the child.ā
ā Jonathan Haidt.
19/03/2024
4 reasons you are locked into a power struggle with your child
Your child needs more consistent boundaries
Your child is ready for a bit more responsibility
Your child needs help expressing their feelings
Your child is rebelling against too much control
Here are the antidotes:
Decide what your non-negotiable boundaries are - the things which really matter to you - and stick with those. If your child isnāt used to you sticking to your boundaries there may be some resistance to this at first. Sticking to boundaries takes practice but itās worth it!
Your child may be going through a developmental shift and be ready for a bit more responsibility. See if you can offer this to them in an age appropriate way. What can they do for themselves now that you have been doing for them?
When parents donāt feel listened to by their child they sometimes become reactive and resort to threats and punishment. When this is combined with loose or inconsistent boundaries it can often result in push back from the child.
In this podcast, we explore different parent coaching techniques to give your children the best support possible through challenging times. We also talk abou...
12/03/2024
Donāt be afraid to ask for help!
Parenting is the hardest thing many of us do, yet it can be so difficult to ask for help. Sometimes when you are swept up by a wave of emotion it can be difficult to see things clearly.
Our children can evoke strong feelings in us and we might not always understand why or what to do about the struggles we experience as parents.
This is how I can help:
In my coaching sessions I can help you see things from a fresh perspective and understand the root cause of the struggles you are facing. The result is greater joy and harmony in your relationship with your child.
I work with parents for a minimum of 12 sessions so that you can go beyond the surface and practice and sustain new skills. My prices are on a sliding scale as I am aware that the cost of living is high at the moment. I am eager to help as many parents as I can.
Support in between sessions is included to help you make lasting changes.
Is your child always glued to their device even though you agreed on boundaries?
Try these three steps:
ā Set up clear expectations before screen time
ā Engage with what they are doing: Connect then request
ā Check how much time they need to finish up
Let me know if this is an issue you struggle with and whether these tips work for you in the comments below.
I have a free downloadable workbook all about screen use for you and your child to complete together. Email nina@journeyintoparenting.com if you would like a copy.
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Aerial artist, Nina Bambrey is creating a new concept in the way we prepare for the arrival of a brand new human! Her company Flipturn is overhauling old ways of doing things to create which fit the lifestyle and expectations of an upcoming generation of millennial parents to be. Her offer involves high quality learning environments which offer emotional and practical preparation for becoming parents.
"Becoming a parent for the first involves a huge shift in identity and the way we experience the world. This can be huge shock to new Mumās and Dadās who think that their lives will carry on largely as before. I am excited about easing this transition.ā Nina Bambrey
We now know that we no longer have to sacrifice our needs in order to be good parents, in fact evidence suggests the contrary.
āThere is a direct correlation between high stress and unmet needs. Needs become more acute in times of stress, and needs that are insufficiently met may cause stress.ā, states The Centre for parenting education. āWe are more likely to be able to access our ability to be patient, loving parents when our needs are taken care of. Children also learn a great deal through imitation therefore demonstrating to them that everyoneās needs count helps them to develop an outlook which will serve them well for life.ā
Parenting can be an incredibly joyful experience but you need to know what your up against in order to rise to the challenge. The culture we live in means there can be an incredible amount of pressure on parents. It takes discipline to prioritise caring for oneself when it is somewhat against the cultural current.*
āI see parenting as a highly creative activity, when my son and I are in flow together it feels a lot like an improv jam! I am to facilitate a space in my sessions where adults and children can go on this journey togetherā, Bambrey
You can find Flipturn classes currently in the Bristol area and Nina is looking for franchisees in order to take the company national.
*If you are interested in knowing why we live in such a high pressured society even tough it is 10 times easier to produce the essentials of life than it was a hundred years ago drop me a message and I can theorise at you about this! I will also start writing a post on this subject.
