How it began
Founder Heleen de Hertog’s own parenting experiences first inspired Howtotalk 15 years ago. Her eldest son Thomas was a “feisty little man”, with whom she had more than her fair share of struggles. “Through reading the bestseller How to Talk so Kids Will Listen and Listen so Kids Will Talk, I learned that my difficulties with Thomas were mainly caused by the way I communicated with him,” Heleen explains. “How you handle your child’s feelings has a huge impact on how they express themselves.”
Heleen adapted the book for the Dutch market, as well as a follow-up focusing on sibling rivalry, and published them under the name How2talk2kids. More than 130,000 copies have now been sold in the Netherlands alone.
Heleen: ‘My difficulties with my son were mainly due to the way I communicated with him’
Howtotalk: parenting coach in your pocket
Want more from parenthood? Howtotalk can help. Learn new ways to handle your emotions and see how the atmosphere at home improves, while your child becomes grows in independence and confidence.