childhood – Jacquline Njeri

The Hidden Message Children Receive When Parents Avoid Conflict

Conflict is an unavoidable part of human relationships. While most parents strive to create a peaceful home environment, an extreme avoidance of conflict can inadvertently send children a powerful, and

How Children Internalize Unspoken Family Rules

Every family operates under a complex web of rules. Some are explicit: “No shoes on the carpet,” “Homework before screen time,” or “Always say please and thank you.” But alongside

When Love Feels Conditional to a Child and How It Shapes Behavior

Love is often spoken of as an unconditional force, a bedrock upon which healthy development rests. However, for some children, love feels anything but unconditional. When affection, praise, or even

How Children Learn to Hide Emotions to Protect Their Parents

Children are exquisitely attuned to their parents’ emotional states. From infancy, they absorb cues, recognizing joy, stress, or sadness long before they can articulate these feelings. While this sensitivity is

Why Your Child Feels Invisible: Recognizing Emotional Neglect

Parenting is often envisioned as providing food, shelter, and physical safety. While these are fundamental, a child’s healthy development hinges just as much on emotional nourishment. When a child’s emotional

Parenting with Patience: Overcoming the Urge for Instant Results

In a world defined by high-speed internet and overnight deliveries, we have become conditioned to expect instant results. Unfortunately, the slow and often winding process of child development does not

Why Your Child Struggles with Boundaries (And How to Help Them)

Boundaries are the invisible fences of relationships, defining what is acceptable and what is not. For adults, they are crucial for maintaining self-respect and healthy interactions. For children, understanding and

Helping Your Child Build Healthy Relationships with Peers

For children, navigating friendships is a core part of growing up, teaching them vital social and emotional skills that last a lifetime. Good peer relationships are essential because they offer

Your Teen Needs Emotional Space (And How to Give It)

The teenage years are a turbulent, exhilarating, and often confusing time. Amidst the flurry of school, friends, and burgeoning independence, a critical need emerges in every adolescent: the need for

To the Parent I’m Still Trying to Forgive

Dear Parent, Some days I think I have forgiven you. Then something small happens, a smell, a voice, a phrase, and I am eight years old again, trying not to