Children and young people are growing up in a very different world to the one that many adults experienced. Increased pressure, constant stimulation, reduced time for connection and play, and the pace of modern life can all shape behaviour, wellbeing, and relationships. This video explores some of the thinking behind our approach and explains why understanding the “why” behind the changes in childhood matters.
A changed generation
What do you expect?
It is easy to assume that loving our children, providing for them and making sacrifices will somehow naturally teach them how to behave. But behaviour rarely works like that. Children need expectations to be taught, modelled and made explicit.
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Too often, we communicate expectations only in the moment - get off your phone, don’t jump on the sofa, put your plate away. Those moments are often driven by frustration, exhaustion or resentment, especially when family life feels relentless. What helps children most is having clear principles that sit underneath those everyday corrections. These values become the reason behind the behaviour - why we are kind, honest, responsible and respectful.
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Having shared family principles gives us something consistent to return to. Instead of reacting emotionally in difficult moments, we can reference the expectations that we have already agreed matter in our home. This creates a structure that helps us teach, guide and support behaviour calmly and consistently, rather than only responding when things go wrong.
Difficult conversations
We have created a range of simple, child-friendly workbooks to help primary-aged children explore emotions, regulation, stuck thoughts, and experiences, such as bereavement. "Jay’s Busy Brain", "Sam’s Missing Heart" and "Leo's Different Map" are designed to support conversations, reflection, and emotional processing in safe and accessible ways.
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These resources are free to download and use at home, in schools, or as part of wider support around a child.
Supporting positive behaviour
This resource is designed to help families understand behaviour through a relational and biological lens, while building the replacement skills that children need to regulate emotions, communicate safely, and meet expectations over time.
The activities and conversations within this resource are best used during calm, connected moments rather than during conflict or crisis. They are intended to support reflection, emotional safety, and provide practical strategies that children can begin to recognise and use in everyday life.
At Navigate, we believe that children are more likely to behave well when they feel safe, understood, and supported by the adults around them. This approach helps families guide and improve behaviour without compromising relationships or harming emotional wellbeing.
Make us strong
Navigate Together becomes stronger when people contribute to it . When people use what helps, share what works, and show us what they’ve learned. We grow through challenge, feedback and the opportunity to learn from one another, share what’s working, and celebrate progress together. If you’ve got something to add, something to ask for, or something you think could help someone else, we’d love to hear from you.
