ACTVoices is about supporting parents and carers develop a positive well-being by improving the quality of interactions between you and your child, thus improving the household climate.

This is achieved by helping parents and carers with children between 1 and 6 years old address 8 of the most common challenges centred around routines and experiences that all parents and carers go through at one time or another as they raise their young child. We do this through building your social-emotional well-being (ie. your mental health), so you can support build a positive well-being in your child.
What are these 8 challenges? Click Here to view

“Tirzah’s advice has been priceless. Being a first time parent I had no idea how to deal with toddler tantrums, picky eating and adjustments with a new sibling. Tirzah’s approach is different. She uses visual aides and accesses your child first. Simple visual aides helped me work with my toddler and set some solid foundations which I didn’t have”

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1. Are you a parent or carer with your first child or fourth child aged 1 to 6 years?
   Maybe you feel insecure, lost, or not confident of what to do. Maybe your child has challenging behaviours (eg. regression, jealousy, tantrums) since you had a new baby and don’t know how to handle the situation.



2. Are you facing challenges at a stage of your child’s life?
   Maybe you feel unsure of what to do or how to deal with the problem/concern.
3. Are you instead feeling isolated?
   Maybe you have no one to talk to, to share your concerns or questions – no one to support you with a neutral, unbiased voice that won’t judge you as a parent.
4. Do you just want to learn new parenting skills and strategies?
   Maybe your parents, other extend family, friends, or social media are bombarding you with so much different advice and information that you don’t know what will work or what you should try to get quick and successful change.
5. Do you need to prioritise self-care and your own mental health?
   Remember, it’s not all about your child when you are a parent or carer. Take care of yourself so you can take care of them. Make sure your emotional tank is refilled so you can pour into their lives.

1. Does your child exhibit behaviour that you don’t understand and / or don’t know how to manage? You may observe the following behaviours or needs:
   • regression (crying, tantrums, wanting to use a bottle/dummy) particularly with the arrival of a new sibling;
   • aggressive behaviour (physical and/or verbal);
   • generally negative behaviour;
   • difficulty making friends;
   • difficulty engaging in play, activities and/or tasks;
   • limited interests and/or engagement in play areas;
   • overly shy, clingy, experiencing separation anxiety; or
   • a ‘learned helplessness’ (ie. you will often hear, “I can’t do it” and / or observe avoidance of any new or challenging situations that they think they will not succeed at).



2. Do you want to know what your child is thinking & feeling? Or why they are acting the way they are acting?
   • Does your child have tantrums, keeps silent, or maybe rebels and makes the wrong choices?
   • Do you want to know what they are saying or not saying?
   • Or why they are acting the way they are acting?
   • Do you want to know what your child is thinking and feeling?
3. Does your child have difficulties going to bed, settling to sleep, or staying asleep during their day or night sleep? Does your child have difficulties in the day or night…
   • going to bed?
   • settling to sleep?
   • sleeping throughout the night?
   • waking up and wanting to sleep in your bed?
4. Does your child have difficulties at mealtimes?
   • Doesn’t try new foods.
   • Spits food out or throws food.
   • Doesn’t use their cutlery.
   • Always gets up/down while they’re eating.
   • Bad manners at the table.
5. How is your child’s toilet training experience? How are you feeling?
   • Are these common feelings and experiences you have with your child: it’s just so difficult, they often wets themselves, they can’t redress themselves after toileting, they refuse to go the toilet, they often have ‘busting’ wees?
   • Are you often feeling frustrated, angry, annoyed or anxious?
   • Are you asking yourself: How do I start? Where do I start? How do I get my child to….?
6. Do you find your child is always scheduled into some activity every day?
   Do you want to know why is play and having downtime important? Have you ever wondered…
   • WHAT do children do when they play?
   • WHY do children need to play?
   • WHO are the best people for children to play with? (Eg. friends, others at the park, siblings, adults).
   • WHERE is the best place to play? (Eg. inside/outside at home, the park, childcare, paid play centre (eg. Monkey Mania)).
   • WHICH toys are the best? (Eg. store bought, homemade, whatever you can find in the home).
   • WHEN should children play? (Eg. all the time, as a reward after they’ve finished their study / work).
   • HOW much play is enough?



7. Do you want to advance your child’s skills, but don’t know what to do or how?
   You may want your child to learn, to be challenged, to develop and grow in their unique ways. You may want your child to…
   • meet their milestones for their age.
   • be ready for school.
   • learn to write letters, numbers.
   • stop scribbling and start to draw recognisable pictures
   • learn how to be independent (eg. un / dressing themselves, putting shoes on, to eat with cutlery, to wash hands or shower themselves).
8. Do you want to make positive changes to your home environment / climate?
   Do you need some peace and calm in your home?
   What is the environment/climate like in your household?
   • Is there yelling, whining or crying –when your child wants something, makes a mistake, during conversations and reprimand?
   • Is there lots of scolding for whatever and every reason?
   • Are you often saying ‘no’, ‘stop’, and ‘go to your room’. Or ‘you’re so naughty’, ‘can’t you just listen’, ‘did you hear me’, ‘why can’t you do what I tell you’, and ‘just look… can’t you see!’
   • Do you have difficulties settling your child when they are distressed for whatever reason?
   • Or do you have the challenge to get your child making better choices or being more independent and responsible for their belongings and self-help?

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then contact us. Let’s work together to get through, and not get stuck in the problem.

ACTVoices –‘ACT’ stands for ‘activating’. Because we are about ‘ACTivating Voices –children‘s voices, and parents‘ and carers‘ voices.

ACTVoices can make a difference in your family. How?

I will be your supporter, an adviser, a guide and listener. I will help you to reflect on what you are experiencing and feeling and we will work together to come up with effective strategies to address your concerns, questions, worries, frustrations around the routines and experiences of raising your child.

During the time we work together, the climate of your home will be transformed as it will be instilled with ENCOURAGEMENT. It will also be characterised with PEACE and CALM.

Do you need some peace and calm, I can help you develop positive and supportive interactions…

Characterised by respect and safety, as well as a positive attitudes towards one another.Evident through listening and respectfully talking to one another including, supportive affirmations, encouragement and acknowledgement of each others’ behaviour and emotions (positive and negative), efforts and achievements.

You ask, “How will it help my mental health and improve my situation?”

Although it might seem that talking and listening is not significant, at ACTVoices, the ‘VOICES’ is what drives the success for families and children.‘VOICES’ are the words, thoughts and ideas a person has. And it is about each person realising that they have the right to share their ‘voice’, to have their ‘voice’ listened to and respected by others – both adults and children. This is having an EMPOWERED VOICE.

WHEN CHILDREN… ARE EMPOWERED WITH A VOICE, they will feel a sense of belonging to the ‘community’ of the home setting. They will know they are a part of the decisions that are made for them and around in the daily experiences and routines. As a result, this builds their social-emotional well being (including their self-worth), which supports them in continuing to shape a confident self-identity.

WHEN ADULTS… ARE EMPOWERED WITH A VOICE, they feel that they are listened to, valued, respected, important, and in control. This will contribute to building a stronger social-emotional well being.

Furthermore, this will positively influence the home climate / environment where family functioning and interactions between adults and between adults and children are positive. As a result, relationships with children will most certainly improve with better quality interactions characterised by mutual respect and trust.

That’s why, along with providing one-on-one support on effective practices, inclusive to your tailored family support program, there is support for you and your well being. We will be a sounding board for reflection and self-growth with your time with us.