Gentle words of persuasion, or lobbing cymbals at their head – how do you get the best out of your kids?
Being mid-December I should probably be writing some sort of topical listicle about Seven Things to Do on Qatar National Day (#1: Don’t drive anywhere unless your car is well and truly decal’d to the hilt…), getting ready for next week with Your Festive Camel Meat Questions Answered, or wondering if it’s too late to ask Santa for a pet lion.
But before we can kick off our sunny desert Christmas (or ‘Thursday’, as it’s called here), there’s a busy end to a busy term, one that’s brought the issue how to get the best out of our kids to the fore.
With Kid A minutes away from her 11th birthday, we’re at a crossroads. She’s still young enough to be into unicorns and Harry Potter, but old enough to get stroppy at our refusal to let her get her ears pierced or buy her a mobile.
And, like Skynet, she’s gradually become self-aware and woken up to the fact that opinions other than her parents’ are available. Continue reading
Bright Lights, Little City 