The Best of Parenting Toolbox.
Hands up for the tools and topics that resonated the most in 2024.
With the year nearly over, let’s look at the Parenting Toolbox articles, tools, and topics that were most effective in 2024.
We’ve covered the whole parenting gamut.
From boy’s behaviour to managing anxiety. From overcoming perfectionism to empowering the family underdog.
Giving kids social scripts to use when you’re not around was popular. A personal favourite was the use of macro-habits to become better parents.
There were over 50+ newsletters and articles published this year.
Now, let’s take a look at what resonated most in 2024.
Most Read Article (most views).
As a parenting educator, I’ve long known that boys’ boisterousness and physicality require specific management techniques.
I recently spent three days caring for my daughter’s three boys (ages 9, 7, and 4), and I can attest that they can wear you out!
By the third day, I was using my best teacher's voice, which I hadn’t used for three decades. So yes, managing boys tests the patience of the best of us.
Read this article if you have a boisterous boy or two in your life. I share a raft of tools that you can use to make life your life with boys easier.
Most Popular Article (most likes).
There is no surprise here as this article combined two compelling concepts for parents.
First, the article featured chores, which is a perennial parenting topic.
Second, it allowed parents to benchmark their child’s progress (and their progress) against arbitrary standards.
Yes, I made them up, but as the parent educator who believes that a parent’s job is to make themselves redundant, I stand by this list of jobs parents should ditch before their child turns 10.
Most Shared Article.
This article was among the most widely read of the year but easily won the most shared category, demonstrating two things.
First, perfectionism is a big issue for parents.
Frankly, I’m not surprised, as perfectionism is common among eldest children, and let’s face it, every parent has a firstborn.
The number of shares also shows that parents love to support each other. “Hmmm. It reminded me of Emma’s son. She may find this article useful.”
The sharing nature of the parenting space is brilliant.
Most Consumed Newsletter.
As you know, the Parenting Toolbox newsletter contains a main and a secondary article, which is often related.
If both articles are read and internal links are clicked, readers can get lost in the content of the Parenting Toolbox. (You could do worse!!)
The newsletter above received the most secondary clicks. In other words, it gave readers a veritable vault of valuable content.
Most Read (and Controversial) Note.
(As you may know, I write regular notes and articles on Substack. Notes are shorter-form text that allows me to express various ideas in a briefer format.)
The figures tell a story: over 5,000 likes, 141 comments and 98 shares.
However, some of the comments left me feeling numb.
While most comments said, “Yay! That’s great!” Others said, “Nay! That’s not so clever. Stop trying to outsmart kids. You’re so lame.” or “You’re trying to control kids.” or “Kids should do as they’re told! You should know that!”
It’s a good reminder that there are many different views about raising kids, and not everyone sees the world through one lens.
Michael’s favourite article.
This was a dead heat.
Both are full-blooded topics close to my heart.
Confidence is a complex concept that is often misunderstood. In this article, I share two important ideas about children’s confidence and six tools for building absolute confidence in kids.
Please read if you have a child who experiences a lack of self-confidence to get a leg-up on some specific confidence-building tools.
As the creator of the Young Leaders Program for primary and elementary schools, it was high time I shared how parents can develop genuine leadership potential at home. There will be more on this topic in 2025, but this article provides some helpful tools and tips for parents.