athomeparentingwithJoFrost2017 - 161

FAMILY

'JO'S ARRIVAL WAS LIKE
A GUARDIAN ANGEL HAD
WALKED INTO OUR LIVES'
JO FROST'S VERDICT

lashing out at me and offered advice
at each stage, including how to talk to
him calmly, how to put boundaries in
place and discipline effectively.
'I knew a lot of these things, but
never followed them through as often
my illness meant I was overwhelmed
by tiredness, so it was easier to give in.'

'After asking
Charity, Tyrell
and the rest
of the family
questions,
together and
individually,
and observing
them, I felt the situation would
benefit by supporting their
post-trauma emotions. Even
though she survived, Charity
and her family are, nonetheless,
victims of cancer.
'Dynamically they were strong
as a family; they just needed
guidance and clarity to allow
them to support each other
and play their roles without
stepping on each other's toes.'

TOO TIRED TO ARGUE

'When the adults couldn't make
an affirmative decision, Tyrell
would feed off this confusion,
leaving him upset and unstable.
'Emotionally he could sense
his family were frustrated and
scared, which would make him
DIFFERENT BEHAVIOUR
panic and act up.
As an added bonus, Jo helped
'Charity loves to bake
mend the rift between
wonderful themed cakes for
Charity and Arlene, who
birthdays and weddings,
she advised to take a step
VIEWING NOTES
yet working full time at
back to enable son and
Nanny on Tour, in which
the bakery zapped all her
mother to bond.
Jo travels to different
energy. As a result, she
'It was like a
cities to help families in
would make quick-fix
guardian angel had
need, is broadcast in the
decisions because it was
walked into our lives,'
easier. But Tyrell needed a
says Charity. 'Within
UK on cable channel
routine that would include
a week of following
Quest Red.
spending time having fun
Jo's advice, I started to
with his mother.
notice Tyrell was behaving
'This would decrease his
differently. I stuck to my guns when
separation anxiety and increase
implementing rules and didn't let
Charity's love of solely being
him override me.'
around her child, teaching
him and doing fun things.
PROUD MUM
'Communication skills were
'Jo is really one of a kind,' she adds. 'I
necessary, face-to-face eye
still have the odd difficult time with
contact and following through
Tyrell but the road is a lot less bumpy
on what was being asked of
and the tools Jo taught me have
Tyrell immediately. These are
proved vital. I can now look at my son
and feel proud, rather than mad.'

simple requirements children
learn at the age of 18 months,
and yet Tyrell, at the later stage
of toddler years, was struggling.'

KEEPING CONTROL
'The mindset for this family was
to focus on what they wanted,
not what they didn't want.
'Teaching Charity to be
happy when out with her son
in public came from specific
rules balanced by praise, plus
a reward of, perhaps, taking his
bike the next time because he
listened and did what he was
told. All the instructions given
were clear and easy to manage.
'The tension between Charity
and her mother was eased
by Arlene being given specific
days and times when she could
visit, so she could still love being
a grandmother but leave Charity
feeling she was in charge.
'These changes, and a heathier
communication, led to Charity
feeling more confident as a
mother which, in turn, meant she
could manage her life better and
find time for she and her son,
and also to rest and relax.'

FACING UP TO CANCER
'This created a much more
harmonious mother-daughter
relationship and they were able
to overcome fear of the word
'cancer' and what that actually
meant for them as a family.
'Within several weeks Tyrell
had stopped sleeping in his
mother's bed and was bought
his own mini toddler bed in the
same one-bedroom apartment
they shared, which he was
extremely excited about.
'As a victim of cancer myself,
having lost my mother at a
young age, it gave me a great
sense of spiritual reward being
able to help this family.'

www.athomemagazine.co.uk J UNE 201 7 | 1 61
http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of athomeparentingwithJoFrost2017
