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About Charlotte Sargent

Charlotte Sargent is mother to six-year-old identical twins and founder of Happy Kids Coach®. Her UK-based business equips children with the skills to cope with life’s ups and downs. This includes a particular focus on building self-esteem, resilience and emotional intelligence in the face of modern stressors such as social media and busy family lives.

3 Key Takeaways From the “Non-Anxious Parenting Masterclass” With Dr. William Stixrud

by Charlotte Sargent.
(This article is part of the PPC 2022 series. Get free article updates here.)

In less than a month, the fantastic and free Positive Parenting Conference 2022 will be available to parents and educators once again! As a member and writer for the AFineParent Academy, I was thrilled to be given early access to the Non-Anxious Parenting Masterclass with Dr. William Stixrud.

Dr. Stixrud is a co-author of What Do You Say? How to Talk with Kids to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance and a Happy Home.  He is a clinical psychologist, has a doctorate degree in educational psychology and is a faculty member at the Children’s National Medical Center. 

I found this masterclass incredibly encouraging, especially now when child anxiety is at an all-time high. This session will resonate with many parents across the globe as so many of us have been impacted by similar challenges during the pandemic and shutdown that have contributed to increased anxiety. 

In particular, I learned how best to respond when my instinct is to ‘fix’ whatever challenge my children are facing; how to encourage a non-anxious home environment by reducing unintentionally anxiety-inducing questions; and how to put exams into perspective and focus on the importance of living a fulfilled, meaningful life. 

Without further ado, here are my top three takeaways! [Read more…]

3 Key Takeaways from the “Camp-Inspired Parenting Masterclass” with Audrey Monke

by Charlotte Sargent.
(This article is part of the PPC 2022 series. Get free article updates here.)

It’s not long now until the launch of the 2022 Positive Parenting Conference! Many years ago, this was the conference that overhauled my parenting style, giving me the confidence and tools to help my family thrive. I’m excited to hear from more experts and to get more practical parenting gems of advice. 

As a member of the AFineParent Academy, I was thrilled when it was announced that we’d get early access to the masterclasses, well before the conference. One of the masterclasses we got early is this inspiring session with Audrey Monke. Audrey is mother to five children and an adored Camp Director with over 30 years of experience working with thousands of children, young adult staff, and parents. 

Her book, Happy Campers: 9 Summer Camp Secrets for Raising Kids Who Become Thriving Adults, shares a wealth of research and practical tips to bring the joys of summer camp into everyday life. It was a pleasure listening to someone who clearly believes and practices the wisdom she shares.

While Audrey shared many great ideas in her Camp-Inspired Parenting Masterclass, what really stood out to me was her insight around connection, kindness and grit. Not only does she teach us why these areas are so important, but she also shows us how we can all build these skills in our families.

Here are my 3 key takeaways from this masterclass –

[Read more…]

The Strong-Willed Child: A Unique Way to Help Your Child with Explosive Behavior

by Charlotte Sargent.
(This article is part of the Positive Parenting FAQ series. Get free article updates here.)

explosive-behavior main imageThe pandemic has likely forced most of us to experience the disappointment of plans being cancelled left, right and center. For my family, it seemed all the more special when our first holiday in two years actually went ahead. It was great to have a much-needed change of scenery and an opportunity to try new things. But there were some challenging moments, mainly in the form of hard-to-watch, hard-to-hear meltdowns!

As a mother of six-year-old twins, I had hoped that the tantrums of a two-year-old were behind us. But this holiday shone a light on how my more strong-willed daughter was finding it increasingly difficult to calm down. 

My daughter’s explosions appeared to come out of nowhere and I struggled to balance the needs of both girls. My well-meaning parents provided side-line commentary on how I was ‘too soft’ on my explosive child, that it wasn’t fair on my other daughter, and I would never have behaved like this when I was her age.

In my professional life, I work with children to help them cope with life’s ups and downs. As founder of Happy Kids Coach® I am very familiar with dealing with big emotions, but when it came to my own daughter, I was finding things much tougher than normal. Her reactions triggered me in a way only your own child can! 

To be the positive parent you’ve always wanted to be, click here to get our FREE mini-course How to Be a Positive Parent.

At a bit of a loss, I became a member of the AFineParent Academy and found Dr. Ross Greene’s “Collaborative and Proactive Solutions Masterclass.” His messages really resonated with me, and I was inspired to order a copy of his book, “The Explosive Child.”  [Read more…]

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Fair Warning: While none of this is professional advice, it is powerful stuff and could potentially change your life!
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