Articles for parents
Calm, practical guides for the big days of early childhood, from the first dentist visit to the first day of school.
Doctor and dentist
- How to prepare your child for the first dentist visitPrepare your child a few days ahead: explain simply that the dentist will “count their teeth” with a little mirror and a light, play dentist at home, and choose a time when your child is rested. Stay calm, let the dentist lead, and praise your child for trying, however it goes.
- How to prepare your child for a doctor's check-upExplain the check-up in simple words: the doctor measures and weighs your child, listens to their heart, and looks in their ears and throat. Play doctor at home, stay close the whole time, and never use the doctor as a threat.
- How to help your child get used to wearing glassesExplain that an eye test is mostly looking at pictures and shapes, like a game. Let your child choose the frames, point out people they admire who wear glasses, and follow the eye doctor's advice on when to wear them. Praise every day they wear them.
Vaccines, illness and hospital
- How to help your child cope with vaccinationsTell your child the truth, briefly: “It might feel like a quick pinch, and then it's done.” Hold them in a cuddle on your lap, distract them with bubbles, a toy, or a song, and tell them it's okay to cry. Afterwards, praise them and plan some special time together.
- How to prepare your child for a hospital stay or operationExplain simply and truthfully what your child will see and feel: the name wristband, the bed with buttons, the nurses, the “special sleep” the doctors give, and waking up with you nearby. Let them pack their own bag with a favourite toy, and ask the hospital whether you can be there when they fall asleep and wake up.
- How to comfort your child when they have a coldOffer drinks often, let your child rest without pressure, and keep quiet games and stories close. Teach nose blowing as a game and coughing into the elbow. Call the doctor if you're worried, especially about breathing, drinking, or how unwell your child seems.
Kindergarten and school
- How to prepare your child for the first day of schoolPractise the route and the morning routine beforehand, pack the school bag together, and let your child choose one small item to bring. Tell them everyone is new on the first day and they can always ask the teacher. Listen to their feelings without rushing to fix them.
- How to get your child ready for kindergarten and help them settle inVisit the kindergarten beforehand and create a short goodbye ritual, the same every day. Tell your child when you'll be back ("after nap time"), never slip away, show them who they can ask for help, and practise joining a game, mealtimes and rest time. Tears in the first weeks are normal.
New sibling
Moving and family changes
- How to help your child cope with moving houseTell your child in good time, let them pack a special box you open first in the new home, and say goodbye to the old home together. Set up their bed and favourite things first and keep the bedtime routine the same. A few weeks of unsettled sleep are normal.
- How to help your child when a parent goes away for a whileTell your child clearly that the parent is going away and when they'll be back, counting in "sleeps," not days. Leave a special object from the travelling parent, keep the same routines, and have short, regular calls or video chats. Never leave without saying goodbye.
Potty
Teeth
- How to get your toddler to brush their teethMake brushing a game and a routine: the same moment morning and night, a song or a counting rhyme, with your child brushing first and you finishing. Offer small choices, like the brush colour or the song, and follow your dentist's advice on toothpaste.
- How to help your child when they lose their first toothThe first baby teeth usually come out around the age of 6. Let the tooth come out on its own with gentle wiggling, offer softer food while it's very loose, and tell your child it's making room for a new tooth. Keep the tooth in a little box or follow your family's tradition.
Sleep
- How to create a calm bedtime routine for your childDo the same steps in the same order every night: calm play, bath, pyjamas, teeth, story, cuddle, lights out. Turn screens off at least an hour before bed, keep the last step short and always the same, and if you promise to come back and check, do.
- How to move your toddler from a cot to a bedMake the move during a calm period, let your child choose bedding or a pillow, and keep exactly the same bedtime routine. Add a side rail and make the room safe. If they get up at night, walk them back calmly with few words, every time.
New skills
- How to make your child's haircut easierShow your child beforehand what happens: the cape, the water spray, the comb, the sound of scissors and the buzz of the clippers, which they can feel on their hand first. Tell them hair doesn't hurt when it's cut, just like nails, bring a toy or a video, and choose a quiet time of day.
- How to help a child who is afraid of bath timeAlways stay within arm's reach, let your child control part of the bath (pouring water with a cup or holding a cloth over their eyes), and keep hair washing short, with the head tipped back. Pull the plug only after they are out, and tell them they are much too big to fit down the drain.
- How to cut your child's nails more easilyClip nails after a bath, when they're softer, with your child on your lap, one finger at a time while counting or singing. Tell them nails don't feel anything, just like hair, let them choose which hand goes first, and stop before they get upset: a few fingers now and the rest later is still a success.
- How to help your child give up the pacifierChoose a calm period, decide on a "goodbye day" together with your child, and count the sleeps until then. Offer a new comfort, such as a cuddly toy, and a few evenings of longer cuddles. Once the pacifier has gone, don't bring it back, and expect a few harder nights.
- How to teach your child to get dressed independentlyLay out clothes the evening before, in order, and let your child choose between two options. Pick easy clothes, help with the hard part, and let your child do the last step so they always finish with success. Allow extra time and praise trying, not perfection.
- How to help your child learn to swim without fearLet your child get used to water gradually, at their own pace: splashing, bubbles, supported floating, then kicking. Never force their face under or throw them in. Always stay within arm's reach, even with floats or armbands.
- How to teach your child to ride a bikeStart with balance, on a balance bike or with the pedals removed, on a flat, quiet surface away from traffic. The helmet goes on every time. Let your child set the pace, tell them honestly when you let go, and praise courage, not speed.
Feelings
- How to help a child who is afraid of the darkTake the fear seriously and tell your child it's normal to feel scared sometimes. Explore the room together with a torch so they see that shadows are ordinary things, use a night light, and promise to check in, then do. Avoid scary stories and screens in the evening.
- How to help a child who is afraid of thunder and lightningThunder is frightening because it is loud, sudden and out of a child's control. During a storm, name what's happening, stay close, breathe together and head to a "storm spot" you chose in advance. On calm days, explain thunder in child-sized words and make a simple plan. Don't laugh, don't force them to watch, and don't promise it will stop at once.
- How to help a child who is afraid of dogsTake the fear seriously without feeding it: some caution around dogs is healthy, especially with strays. Move in small steps at your child's pace, from pictures and stories to a calm dog on a lead watched from a distance, then closer, only with the owner's yes. Teach the safety rules and praise every step.
- Child nightmares: what to do when they wake up scared at nightGo to your child, stay calm, use few words and stay until they settle, then gently help them fall back asleep in their own bed. Don't brush it off with "it was just a dream": the fear was real. In the morning, let them tell it if they want to and change the ending together. A calm evening, no scary screens and the same routine make nightmares rarer.
- Toddler tantrums: what to do when feelings get too bigDuring a tantrum, put safety first, stay close and calm with few words, and name the feeling without trying to reason. Don't give in to the demand, but don't withdraw your love. Once it passes, reconnect and practise calm-down tools in a quiet moment. Predictable days, warnings and small choices prevent many tantrums.
- "I want it now!": helping your child learn to waitTo a small child, time is invisible and the brakes on impulses are still growing, so "later" hurts like a "no". Name the wanting, make time visible with a sand timer or a song, give them something to do while they wait, and keep your promises. Start with short waits and praise the effort, not just the result.
Living with diabetes
- How to help your child with diabetes sensor changesFollow your diabetes team's instructions exactly and keep sensor changes a calm, predictable routine. Be honest about the quick pinch, give your child small choices (the patch design, the song, the countdown), and practise a simple answer for curious friends together.
- How to help your child get used to an insulin pumpFollow your diabetes team's instructions for site changes exactly and keep a calm, predictable routine. Present the pump as a helper that lets your child play and do what they love, give small choices, and practise together what to tell friends.