to not know what unconditional parenting is?!

[GirlOutNumbered]

Just read it on a thread. I have no idea what this is?

BertieBotts As long as you're confident that you're dealing with it in an appropriate way then just ignore them because there will always be some people who seem to take great joy in tutting over others - perhaps because they have nothing interesting going on in their own lives!

Sums it up perfectly Bertie, thankyou. I've ordered How To Talk So Your Children Will Listen so hope it's here soon.

I'm wary of unnecessarily making dd upset as an early memory is my mum playing a song she knew would make me cry, so she could show visitors my 'petted lip'. There were huge other issues too so this on it's own may have been ok, I don't know, but I remember the instinctual anger of being betrayed by the person who was supposed to be protecting me, not making me cry on purpose. But as I say, there were other issues, and dd has to learn she's not the only person in the world. Saying that, she copes really well when other kids thump her. It's me that gets upset! Challenging toddler times...

"not unconditional"