if You Forget Everything Else Remember This: Parenting in the Primary Years

Katharine Hill LLB JP is UK Director at Care for the Family. She speaks and writes on family matters, is a regular author for The Huffington Post, and the author of several books. Katharine also leads on Care for the Family’s policy agenda representing the organisation at government level, and has practised as a family lawyer. She is married to Richard and they have four grown-up children and two grandchildren.

• Introduction xiFasten your seatbelts 1Remember who you are 5There’s no point trying to be a superhero 11Lay down the guilt 15Children will be as different as chalk and cheese 21Don’t look sideways 25Ask yourself: ‘What does a good job really look like?’ 29Put your oxygen mask on first 33Listening says: ‘You matter’ 39It’s good to talk 43Love them and let them know 49Speak words of life 53It’s quality and quantity time 57Actions speak louder than words 61Gifts are not just for birthdays 63‘Please hold me’ 65Don’t leave them to their own devices 69Laughter is the best medicine 77We always… 81Lay the table 85Let them play 89Sometimes ‘playing safe’ is dangerous 93Boundaries give security 97Choose your style 99Choose your battles 105Say what you mean and mean what you say 109Remember the three Ds 113Childish irresponsibility or disobedience? 117Label the action, never the child 119Consequences are the best teachers 121Shoulder to shoulder 125Enjoy the generation game 127Be the first to say sorry 133Take a walk in his moccasins 135Slow down, you move too fast 139It takes a village 143Parent with elastic 147Values are more often caught than taught 151Take a second look 157Snow leopard moments 161Give them roots 165Carpe diem 167