Play with your children

Lego city

We forget that our children are people, with minds and thoughts of their own. They feel lonely too and want to interact with others, just like we do.

Spend time with them, find out about and take an interest in what they like to do. I don't particularly like playing Lego with my children, it's kind of tedious to me, however, my children enjoy it and I like to watch them play.

They'll ask if I want to join them, or sometimes I'll come in and play of my own accord, while also putting neglected bits of Lego away (you can take the mother out of the tidy-upperer but you can't take the tidy-uperer out of the mum).

My child and I worked on a Lego botanical gardens (see pic) with flowers and trees, lamps and seats, slides and climbing things. Plus a pavilion for people to enjoy the shade and picnic.

Parenting with fear

Are your children afraid of you? Do they duck if you wave a hand anywhere near them?

When I was a little girl I was always ducking as I passed my parents (my mum in particular) because I was always afraid I was going to get hit. The irony is my mum would hit me anyway and say, "If you're ducking you must have done something wrong."

Talk about an un-winable situation!

I grew up afraid of my mum, always ducking and flinching, always waiting for the next hit. Always knowing it will come and never knowing when or for what reason.