Understanding Childhood is a series of leaflets written by experienced Child and Adolescent Psychotherapists to give parents, grandparents, carers and professionals additional insight into children’s feelings and view of the world and to help make sense of their behaviour. Originally written for the Child Psychotherapy Trust they have been reviewed and updated and are now published by the ACP.
Your New Baby, Your Family & You
Pregnancy and the birth of a new baby is a new step in your life, and may stir up hidden feelings, hopes and fears for mothers, fathers and other members of the family
Crying & Sleeping in the First Months of Life
Crying and sleeping problems are two of the most common difficulties for parents of babies under one. Nearly all parents will experience difficulties with their baby’s crying or and interrupted sleep in the early months
Postnatal Depression - A Problem for all the Family
Having a baby is supposed to be one of the most exciting and joyful experiences you’ll ever have. But often the reality feels quite different
Sibling Rivalry - The Arrival of a Baby Brother or Sister
If you have more than one young child you are probably all too familiar with some of the problems of sibling rivalry. Sometimes parents who have made a relatively smooth adjustment to their first baby are completely bowled over by the experience of a second
Fathers - Understanding the Vital Role That Fathers, & Father Figures, Play in Children’s Emotional Development
Dads really do matter. Children need fathers – just as they need mothers – to love them, to be interested in them and to respond to their needs, making them feel valued and understood
Grandparents & the Extended Family
Becoming a grandparent is an important step in adult life. For many people it is a joyful one, opening up possibilities for the grandparents themselves, for the grandchildren and for the parents
Separations & Changes in the Early Years
When babies are born they leave the warm and comfortable world of the womb and enter an unknown world. It is their first experience of separation and the beginning of a lifelong series of steps and challenges
Tempers & Tears
It’s a long way from being a helpless baby to becoming a relatively independent three or four-year-old, ready to go to playgroup or nursery
The Child's Experience of Primary School
Families lay the foundations for a feeling of security. At its best, the family is the base from which the child learns to face and cope with the anxieties of life
Supporting Teenagers - Helping Parents & Professionals to Understand the Early Teenage Years
Living with teenagers can be one of the most exciting periods in a parent’s life. It’s great to see your children growing into young people with separate views, hopes and ambitions
Divorce & Separation - Helping Children & Parents to Cope
As parents, we all hope to build a safe familiar world for our children to grow up in. When your children experience the ordinary losses and disappointments of life, as an adult you can stand back a bit from their distress and offer them your sympathy and support
Bereavement - Helping Parents & Children Cope When Someone Close to Them Dies
How best can you help your child when someone close to them dies? What if you are grieving too? Do children grieve in the same way as adults?