Better Parents Overberg - life & parenting coach

12/08/2025

**Renovating Your Home… and Your Family Relationships**

We’ve been busy with house renovations lately, and I want to share some insights.

The process itself is messy, dusty—things go wrong, get delayed, and plans change.

However, when it’s all finished and done (but why does it take so long?), it’s the best feeling ever to come home each day and enjoy the newly refreshed space we live in.

Renovating a house reminds me of detoxing—getting rid of what no longer serves us, healing our body, soul, and relationships. A renewed space can mirror a renewed state of mind and healthier family connections.

We are transforming our environment, and in doing so, transforming ourselves and our family bonds. Think about it—painting walls, rearranging furniture, fixing that squeaky door… it’s the perfect excuse to:

🎨 Laugh at colour disasters (“Wait… that’s not *sunshine yellow*… that’s banana madness!”)

🛠 Solve problems together (“The bookshelf doesn’t fit? Let’s get creative!”)

💬 Listen to each other’s ideas (yes, even the one about a disco ball in the kitchen)

Renovations teach powerful lessons:

✨ Mess is part of the process (in houses *and* in relationships)

✨ Everyone’s voice matters (even the youngest family member)

✨ Teamwork beats power struggles every time

When we slow down and truly listen—when we mix empathy with clear boundaries (*“I hear you love the glitter wall idea… and we also need a colour that won’t blind us at breakfast”*)—we turn renovation into reconnection.

And just like that, fresh paint isn’t the only thing brightening your home—the laughter, trust, and warmth between you get a glow-up too.

So… what will you renovate first: the living room or your family vibes? 💛

Picture created using ideogram.ai

23/04/2025

Interesting

In a classroom, a teacher writes each student’s name on a balloon and releases them into a large area. She tells the students, “Go find the balloon with your name on it.” The students rush in, searching frantically, but it’s chaotic—some find their balloons, while others struggle. After a while, many are still empty-handed.

The teacher stops them and says, “Now, pick up any balloon, read the name, and give it to that person.” The students start handing balloons to each other, and soon, everyone has their own balloon. The teacher explains that these balloons represent your happiness. When you focus solely on your own happiness, you may never find it. But if you can help others find theirs, everyone succeeds faster. Or as the famous inspirational speaker, Zig Ziglar, once said, “You can get anything you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want”

15/04/2025

Sharing this free online event - it might be interesting to hear a well known South African comedian talking about his challenges...

BARRY HILTON in 3D – An Inspiring Talk on facing Depression, Dyslexia, and ADHD with humour

Join us for an engaging and thought-provoking session where Barry Hilton shares his personal journey and insights on overcoming challenges with Depression, Dyslexia, and ADHD using humour. This is a unique opportunity to gain valuable perspectives, inspiration, and motivation to use humour more.

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 16

📍 Online: Google Meet
🖱 Registration: https://barryhilton.com/life-in-3d
🕐 Time Options:
13:00 – 14:00
19:00 – 20:00

Reserve your spot now and be part of this empowering conversation!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34tVIHQAQUU

08/04/2025

What did you say to your child today?

27/02/2025

I love this picture. Two totally calm men are waiting for the tantrum of the little girl to pass. The two men are the father and grandfather of the two-year-old girl, who lay on the floor and started Throwing a tantrum in the middle of the mall.
Neither of the men loses patience or yells at her. They just wait quietly. They have decided to not give her what she wants – when it doesn’t make sense. Yet they are letting her express her emotions, in this case her anger, at not getting what she wants.
Nobody feels embarrassed about the show the little girl is putting on.
The father's own words when posting this photo explain everything:
This post is about one thing and just the one thing – Get comfortable in the uncomfortable.
There are no perfect parents, but one thing my parents taught me was not being a parent depending on what others think. My dad always let me feel what I needed to feel, even if it was in public and embarrassing. I don't remember him telling me: 'You're embarrassing me! 'o' Don't cry! '. It wasn't until recently that I realized how important it was for my own emotional development. Our kids are learning and processing so much information and they don't know what to do with all these new feelings that come up.""
Let us learn to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Let us learn to deal with our children's tantrums, with patience and tranquility. Children are children.
Credit: Justin Baldoni

14/02/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today is the day when we celebrate LOVE.

Love for our partner, for our child and for ourselves.

Today let’s celebrate the unconditional love we give and receive every single day.

Let’s take a moment to honour the love that fills our hearts. The sacrifices we make, the lessons we learn from each other, and the unbreakable bond we share.

Cherish the little moments with our loved ones - a quiet moment of reassurance, laughter shared over dinner, or the way their eyes light up when you walk in the room, these are the moments that remind us why we do it all.

So if there’s one thing you want your child to know - and your inner child as well - is that they are loved.

Tell them.

Show them.

Today.

Image credit: vecteezy.com/free-photos/happy-family-silhouette

30/12/2024

20/12/2024

SURVIVAL GUIDE: How to keep your sanity intact this holiday season 😅

Parents! It's that magical time of year when our darling children transform from regular chaos-makers into turbo-charged festive tornados! Here are a few tips on how to survive without losing your mind:

1. Relax - Embrace the mess, drop the stress.
Christmas is all about spending time with family. And it’s hard to spend quality time with your spouse and children when you are in the kitchen making all sorts of different dishes only because it’s a tradition.

Our children will remember how you make them feel. Spend as much time as possible connecting - playing, laughing, relaxing.

2. Reality Check: They're still your kids.
Our wish might be to present a well-behaved and best version of our kids to the wider family, but that just sets us up for a failure. Holiday time excitement can be overwhelming and small kids are yet to learn how to manage their big emotions.

And your teen? Still allergic to family photos and eye contact. 🤷‍♀️

3. Strategic Planning
Spend a bit of time before the festive period planning things. Discuss it with your family so they know what will happen and what is expected. Plan travel and festivities around sleep and mealtimes. Think of some activities to engage reluctant teens to participate and to keep younger ones busy. Pack snacks. And always, ALWAYS have a backup plan for when your 5-year-old decides to tell grandma what you really think about her fruit cake. 🤐

Pro Parent Hack: Keep expectations lower than your energy levels by January 1st. Focus less on perfection and more on capturing those priceless moments - like when your kids are actually getting along (quick, take a picture, it won't last long! 📸)

Just like families, Festive Season time is never perfect. The best Christmas memories aren't about the decorations, presents or angelic behaviour. So don’t expect too much of yourself, your partner or your children - focus rather on being present in the moment, connection with your loved ones and making memories.

Have a Happy Holidays! Make the best out of it!

05/12/2024

Yes, Your Kids Should Do Chores!

Let's face it: getting kids to do chores is as easy as convincing a cat to take a bath. But before you give up and accept your fate as a human vacuum cleaner, here's why it's worth the drama - When kids help around the house, they develop life skills that'll help them have higher self-esteem, manage their time better, be more resilient and have stronger family bonds.

Here are some age-appropriate tasks (or "character-building opportunities" as we optimistically call them):

- Ages 3-5: Toy cleanup (Warning: May take longer than doing it yourself. Just breathe and keep quiet), feeding pets (with supervision), simple cleaning tasks (ie.dusting)
- Ages 6-9: Basic laundry, making their bed, setting and clearing the table
- Ages 10+: Meal prep (If you’re brave - start a few years earlier), vacuuming and mopping, gardening tasks
- Teenagers: Meal planning and cooking, deep cleaning tasks, home maintenance projects, Budget management for personal needs

Success tips for the brave:
- Start early, while they still think cleaning is fun
- Accept imperfect results
- Connect to Values: Help children understand how their contributions support family wellbeing and align with core values like responsibility and cooperation
- Stay consistent (even if they “forget” to make their bade for the 20th time)
- Let natural consequences be the teacher (forgetting to put dirty clothes into the washing basket = no clean clothes for school)

Remember: In giving children age-appropriate work, we're not just maintaining a household – we're investing in their future capability, confidence, and character. Through thoughtful implementation of household responsibilities, we help our children develop the skills they need for lifelong success while strengthening family connections and creating a more harmonious home environment.

The greatest gift we can give our children isn't doing everything for them – it's teaching them they're capable of doing things for themselves and others.
Stay strong, fellow parent warriors. One day they'll thank you (probably when they have kids of their own).

28/10/2024

CELEBRATING COGNITIVE DIVERSITY

Inspired by recent conversations with parents I want to share these examples of famous individuals who tell the world they are neudodivergent - diagnosed with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, etc.

Different brains work in different ways - every one of us is different and people think, learn, and process information uniquely. Some focus on specific interests, others see patterns that many miss, and some learn or communicate in distinctive ways. While certain individuals may experience challenges with things like social cues or sensory input, they often bring valuable perspectives and abilities to their communities. Many show remarkable talents in creative thinking, analyzing complex information, or finding innovative solutions to problems. Here are a few examples of famous people who were diagnosed as neurodivergent.

ADHD:
Simone Biles - gymnast
Trevor Noah - comic, actor
Ryan Gosling - actor
Emma Watson - actress

Asperger’s syndrome / autism spectrum:
Elon Musk - businessman, investor
Anthony Hopkins - actor
Dan Aykroyd - actor
Greta Thunberg - activist

Dyspraxia:
Daniel Radcliffe - actor
Jamie Oliver - chef
Florence Welch - singer & songwriter
Cara Delevingne - model

Dyslexia:
Steven Spielberg - film director and screenwriter
Richard Branson - businessman, co-founder of Virgin Group
Keira Knightley - actress

These are just a few examples and there is a lot more people who were or were not diagnosed.

Share your thoughts in comments or contact me directly

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16/10/2024

Teach your kids to fail

Wait, WHAT??? Teach kids to fail? That doesn’t make sense, does it?

Well, this is how some parents help their children to build confidence.

Let’s play - we’re going to go back in time (it might get painful) - are you ready? Imagine yourself in a situation from your younger days when things went wrong and you failed. Maybe it was a failed exam, maybe you forgot the words on a stage at a school concert or were late for a date/ meeting.

What happened next? What happened a week/ a month later? How did it affect your life?

Failure is inevitable and needs to happen in order for us to learn. Don’t be afraid to fail, and teach your kids the same. Show them how you learned from your mistakes, from your failures, and how they can do the same.

Build confidence in kids.

Here is an exercise for you to do by yourself and with your child (inspired by Rich Litvin):

In the evening before bedtime sit with your child and ask:

**What was great about today?**
**What was challenging about today? What did I fail at today?**
**What am I grateful for?**


The purpose is for your child (and us) to see that it’s possible to create something great every single day.

And it’s possible to face challenges every day, fail at something every day, and still be ok.

When you share your failures with your family, you step down from a pedestal so your kids see you as a human being, imperfect, making errors and learning from them.

Allow, accept, and love your child “as is”. I invite you to - for one moment - let go of expectations of them being perfect, doing great at school, brushing their teeth and allow yourself to connect with them as they are.

And do it for yourself too - allow, accept and love yourself for who you are right now, without the need to prove anything to anyone.

Let me know how it goes.