petra

Latest Posts

Dare to fail – what is there to lose?

The other day, I sat watching a friend’s baby pull herself to her feet using the sofa as support. A moment of delight was swiftly followed by a bump as her little legs wobbled and plopped her back on her bottom on the floor. A frown flashed across her face before she reached out for […]

Coping with Change 2

Coping with Change 2

A few years ago I used to enjoy watching a TV programme called ‘A Place in the Sun’, where would be expats sold up everything to buy their dream home somewhere warmer than the UK. Despite harbouring very high expectations of paradise, very few of them seemed to last very long, soon becoming miserable because […]

Five thoughts to help you through the teenage years

Five thoughts to help you through the teenage years

I was talking to a friend the other day, who was lamenting the loss of her angelic little girl and the appearance of a creature in eyeliner that appeared to delight in misunderstanding her and pushing all her buttons. Every conversation was either through a closed door, was interrupted by a smartphone notification or ended […]

Dealing with Difficult People – the Negative Friend

I was asked the other day about how to deal with difficult people. The advice to walk away from them was almost on the tip of my tongue, but of course, you can’t always do that. They may be a colleague, another parent at school, or even a relative and they all have one thing […]

Helping your student prepare for university applications

Whilst September is the traditional month for students to start panicking about making their university choices and the UK newspapers are full of articles about making the most of your UCAS application, as a parent it is never too early to start planning to take the stress out of your role in the application process. […]