Begin with attention.
Choose an appropriate moment to listen. Invite your child’s account before deciding what their behaviour or response means.
Recognise strengths in daily life.
Notice care, effort and growing responsibility. Encouragement is more helpful when it refers to something the child recognises too.
Agree a manageable next step.
Explore one change you can work on together. Where mentoring is involved, discuss how support and communication can connect with family life.
From the ECNM journal
This reading edition adapts our published work. Explore the original article below.