Talking to HuffPost UK about child development

Belinda Gidman-Rowse from Grow Psychotherapy speaking to HuffPost UK

Speaking to the HuffPost UK in their article “If Your 4-Year-Old Is Having Big Emotions Over The Smallest Things, There's A Reason For That” (13/11/25), I was delighted to speak on a topic close to my heart both personally and professionally - child development.

You can read the full article over on the HuffPost UK site, but here are some excerpts from my quotes:-

• “Developmentally, there is a lot going on for children around this age, and experimenting with the concepts of power and control are actually necessary steps in psychosocial development.

• “Whilst this can look messy and feel testing to us as parents, it’s not the child ‘being naughty’, it’s healthy psychological development.”

• “hitting their milestones, learning to navigate life’s challenges, and are growing the interpersonal skills and emotional capacity to succeed in life”.

• Stay calm, stay kind, stay compassionate and stay connected to your child as much as you can, Gidman-Rowse advises parents. (Easier said than done, we know.) “Practically, this looks like: keeping your tone and volume of voice low and slow, physically dropping down to be at your child’s level, focusing on them and stopping what you’re doing if safe to do so,” she said.

• “I like bee breathing – a simple technique where you inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth and hum like a buzzing bee,” she said. “This activates the vagus nerve and calms the nervous system.”

• “but remember, we don’t have to respond perfectly every time – 30% of the time is good enough.”