When my Dad was growing up he had one jumper each winter. One. Total. He remembers how vigilantly he cared for his jumper. If the elbows got holes in them my Grandma patched them back together. If he lost his jumper he’d recount his steps to find it again. He guarded it like the precious […] The post Simplifying Childhood May Protect Against Mental Health Issues appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

The roar of Jones Hole rapid fades behind us as our raft glides into calmer waters. My ten-year-old son’s face is beaming with a mix of pride, shock and pure joy.  Just minutes ago, he’d gripped the raft’s safety line with white knuckles, telling himself “I can do this” as we approached the churning whitewater. […] The post Where the Wild Things Grow: What Happens When Kids Meet the River appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

Emotional storms.  They’re the weather we unknowingly sign up for as new parents.  And when they hit, we desperately try to calm our children’s fears while battling our own rising tide of anxiety. It can be one of the most overwhelming emotions to witness and to understand. It’s a dance we’re all too familiar with, […] The post 5 Powerful Ways to Help Your Anxious Child Thrive, Not Just Survive appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

She was exhausted. Bone-deep, soul-crushing exhausted. When her mother-in-law offered to watch her kids, it should have been a lifeline. But instead, a familiar knot of guilt tightened in her stomach. “Do you need me to watch the kids so you can go to work?” her mother-in-law asked. “Yes,” she lied. So she put on […] The post What Happens When Mothers Need to Go Undercover to Get Self Care appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

What if I told you that making space for your child’s tears could be the most powerful tool in your parenting toolkit?  What if I told you that mad is sad’s bodyguard? What if I told you it’s NOT your job to keep your child happy? What if I told you that your child’s anger […] The post How to Hold Space for Big Emotions (Your Child’s and Your Own) appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

“See you later mum, I’m riding my bike round to Sarah’s house!” “Be back in time for dinner!” “Okay, Bye!” Out came your bike and you rode the few blocks to your friend’s house. You’d knock on the door, ask if she wanted to play, and your friend would come bounding out of the house […] The post The Largest Uncontrolled Experiment Humanity Has Ever Performed on its Own Children appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

My plan failed.  I’d checked online that the store had Size 4 soccer shoes.  Why?! Why had they sold out just before my son and I got there?  Ugh…soccer practice was starting in two days.  So, the helpful shop assistant called around and found a pair for my little guy…at their big store in the […] The post Why Playfulness Transforms Parenting (And is the Quickest Way to Gain Your Child’s Cooperation) appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

When Pinocchio lied his nose grew and grew. When the boy cried wolf eventually no one believed him. Even our cherished folklore stories shame and scare children into telling the truth only when Pinocchio vowed to never lie again he was rewarded with becoming a real boy.  When the wolf does arrive the flock is […] The post Why I Was Happy When My Son Started Lying (and You Should Be Too) appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas……. There is a magical atmosphere in the air among the trees and snow-covered mountains here in Canada. The days are getting shorter and the lights are twinkling in the village on our island. Our little family values togetherness most during this time. We slow right down and […] The post A Dozen Family-Friendly Cosy Christmas Movies for the Holidays appeared first on Raised Good ..read more

Let me guess, because you choose to parent more consciously I can almost guarantee you’d love to approach Christmas with the same level of awareness and simplicity you bring to your parenting.  The gifts, the food, the events, and the social commitments of the season can leave your nervous system reeling and your children feeling […] The post The Natural Parent’s Guide to Christmas Gifting appeared first on Raised Good ..read more