Les Petits Bugs — English https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/ Simple ideas for debugging everyday life with young children. en Wed, 30 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT I made dinner. He had already prepared his “no”. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-refuses-to-eat-dinner.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-refuses-to-eat-dinner.html Does your child refuse to eat? Counting bites and negotiating can quickly turn dinner into a power struggle. What if we tried insisting a little less? Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries Self-care He took the present without saying thank you. So I spoke for him. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/teaching-a-child-to-say-thank-you.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/teaching-a-child-to-say-thank-you.html Does your child receive a gift without saying thank you? We can teach manners and gratitude without turning “thank you” into a word they recite on command. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion By the 37th “why?”, I stopped looking for the right answer https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/why-young-children-ask-so-many-questions.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/why-young-children-ask-so-many-questions.html Does your child ask “why?” all day? Not every question needs an immediate explanation. Sometimes asking what they think opens up their imagination. Tue, 29 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Imagination There is no nursery pickup race. My brain compares anyway. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/nursery-daycare-pickup-guilt.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/nursery-daycare-pickup-guilt.html Do you often collect your child later than other families? Pickup time can trigger guilt, even though it says very little about your whole day or the kind of parent you are. Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Self-care Emotion Her hands were covered in soap. But apparently it wasn’t her. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/why-young-children-deny-the-obvious.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/why-young-children-deny-the-obvious.html Does your child deny something that is plainly obvious? At three, that little “no” may not mean the same thing as an adult lie. Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries Emotion It wasn’t my child. But I was the adult who saw it. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-another-child-hits-yours.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-another-child-hits-yours.html What do you do when another child pushes or hits yours? A simple boundary can protect your child without judging the other child or their parent. Sun, 27 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries When independence takes five minutes and you only have two https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-wants-to-do-everything-alone.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-wants-to-do-everything-alone.html Does your child want to put their shoes on alone when you need to leave? A few compromises can protect their independence without losing the whole morning. Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries The method said three days. He had other plans. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/three-day-potty-training-didnt-work.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/three-day-potty-training-didnt-work.html Did the three-day potty training method not go as planned? Toilet learning does not always move at the pace promised by a programme. Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries Self-care Yes, I’ll carry you. But you have to be the monkey. https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/yes-ill-carry-you-but-be-the-monkey.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/yes-ill-carry-you-but-be-the-monkey.html Does your child refuse to walk and ask to be carried? Saying yes while giving them a small role can sometimes turn the journey into cooperation. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Play Sometimes twenty seconds of calm is enough https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/sometimes-twenty-seconds-of-calm-is-enough.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/sometimes-twenty-seconds-of-calm-is-enough.html No time for a real break? In the middle of a day with young children, a few quiet seconds can still be enough to catch your breath. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Self-care What if sometimes we simply need to move on? https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/sometimes-we-just-need-to-move-on.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/sometimes-we-just-need-to-move-on.html Is your child still angry despite all the words, explanations and suggestions? Sometimes stopping the discussion and changing direction can help everyone move forward. Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger The strange calm of having just one child with me https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/the-calm-of-having-just-one-child-with-me.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/the-calm-of-having-just-one-child-with-me.html When you care for more than one child, being alone with just one of them can suddenly feel surprisingly restful. A small pause from divided attention. Thu, 17 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Self-care When the right tools are not enough https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-the-right-tools-are-not-enough.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-the-right-tools-are-not-enough.html Is your child still angry after you have tried every tool you know? Sometimes no phrase can make a big feeling disappear, and what is needed most is time and presence. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger Play Even five minutes counts https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/even-five-minutes-count.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/even-five-minutes-count.html No time for a proper workout with a baby? Five or ten minutes of movement still count, even when the session keeps getting interrupted. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Play Self-care When the escalator became an elephant https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-the-escalator-became-an-elephant.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-the-escalator-became-an-elephant.html Is your child refusing to move because they are exhausted? A little play and imagination can sometimes unlock the moment without adding more pressure. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Play Imagination When repeating the rule stops working, I tell him how I feel https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/say-how-you-feel-instead-of-repeating-the-rule.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/say-how-you-feel-instead-of-repeating-the-rule.html Stuck in a power struggle even though the rule is clear? Saying how you feel can sometimes change the dynamic without changing the boundary. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries Emotion The book that helped me when the big meltdowns began https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/book-that-helped-with-big-meltdowns.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/book-that-helped-with-big-meltdowns.html Looking for a book to help with a young child’s big meltdowns? This one gave me practical tools without promising a miracle method. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Books & resources Emotion Anger Boundaries When explanations stop working, I invent a unicorn https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-explanations-stop-working-invent-a-unicorn.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-explanations-stop-working-invent-a-unicorn.html Is your child too overwhelmed to hear your explanations? Play and imagination can sometimes help you get through the moment without changing the boundary. Mon, 14 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Play Imagination What if playing is sometimes faster than saying “hurry up”? https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/play-can-be-faster-than-hurry-up.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/play-can-be-faster-than-hurry-up.html Is your child dawdling when you need to get somewhere? Joining their game for a moment can sometimes work better than repeating “hurry up”. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Play Imagination I asked my son to show me how big his anger was https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/show-me-how-big-your-anger-is.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/show-me-how-big-your-anger-is.html Is your child very angry and struggling to find words? Asking them to show how big the feeling is can make it visible and easier to move through. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger When writing helps a big feeling settle https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/writing-after-big-emotions.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/writing-after-big-emotions.html Is your child still overwhelmed after a big emotional moment? Writing down what happened can help them put the experience somewhere and feel heard. Sun, 13 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger Before we correct, let’s start by listening https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/listen-before-you-correct.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/listen-before-you-correct.html Is your child overwhelmed? Before correcting, explaining or finding a solution, acknowledging the feeling can help lower the tension. Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger Boundaries What if we said “no” a little less often? https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/say-no-less-often.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/say-no-less-often.html Do you feel as if you say “no” all day? Here are three ways to hold a boundary without automatically turning it into a power struggle. Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries When I don’t want to say yes: making blue ice cream at home https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/blue-ice-cream-at-home.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/blue-ice-cream-at-home.html Is your child asking for something you do not want to agree to? Between yes and no, an alternative can sometimes keep the idea alive without dropping the boundary. Wed, 12 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries Imagination Getting into the car without a power struggle: the power of small choices https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-refuses-to-get-in-the-car.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/child-refuses-to-get-in-the-car.html Does your child refuse to get into the car when it is time to leave? Two small choices can sometimes turn a power struggle into cooperation. Mon, 20 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Boundaries When feelings are too big for words https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-feelings-are-too-big-for-words.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-feelings-are-too-big-for-words.html Is your child overwhelmed by a big feeling? Drawing, playing, moving or tearing paper can give that emotion another way out. Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion Anger When the words won’t come, let’s write them down https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-words-wont-come-write-them-down.html https://lespetitsbugs.com/en/when-words-wont-come-write-them-down.html Is your child struggling to talk about how they feel? Writing, drawing or making a list can help them express emotions another way. Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Articles Emotion