And here's what I've learned after years in the trenches with parents just like you—knowing what to do and sustaining it through the inevitable storms of family life are two very different things. That's why today, I'm giving you the most important tool you'll ever receive as a parent. It's a permission slip. Not the kind you sign for field trips, but the kind that gives you freedom to parent differently, to trust deeply, and to keep growing even when (especially when) things

Here's what I've learned through years of supporting families and diving deep into child development research: when what worked last month suddenly doesn't work this month, it's usually not a sign that you're failing as a parent. It's often a sign that your child is growing—and their developing brain has new needs.

The Problem with Our "One-Size-Fits-All" World Here's what nobody tells us when we become parents: our world is designed for one specific type of nervous system. The neurotypical brain that can filter out background noise, transition smoothly between activities, and regulate emotions in predictable ways. But here's the beautiful truth—human brains come in endless, wonderful variations. Some brains process sensory information more intensely.

The consequence felt swift and fair. Natural, even. Make a mess, lose a privilege. Simple parenting math, right? Except it didn't work. Not that day, not the next week, and not the fifteenth time I found myself staring at another breakfast disaster, wondering why my perfectly logical consequences weren't creating any lasting change. Sound familiar?

But here's what I want you to know: this moment of rupture wasn't a parenting failure. It was an opportunity. What happened next—the repair conversation that followed—became one of our most connecting moments of the week. And it illustrates something crucial about building secure attachment: it's not about being a perfect parent. It's about being a present, responsive, and repairing parent.

What if I told you three magic words could transform these daily battles? What if the solution wasn't more structure, clearer consequences, or louder voices—but something surprisingly simple?

Why Punishment Stops the Conversation When we respond to emotional communication with punishment, consequences, or immediate problem-solving, we inadvertently teach our children that their feelings are problems to be fixed rather than information to be understood.

Here's what nobody prepared us for: these hopes aren't just unrealistic—they're completely disconnected from how children's brains and bodies actually develop. We're measuring our real, growing, learning children against developmental fantasies, and we're all struggling because of it.

Anything related to “parenting” these days feels like big business. We all desperately want to get it "right."

Embracing the Now: A Play Therapist Parent's Journey of Imperfect Parenting As a play therapist and a parent, I've learned that the most….

As a play therapist, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of play in the lives of young children.

Raising teens today is a vastly different experience than it was decades ago.

I often reflect on the intricate and unpredictable journey that is parenting. Regardless of our backgrounds, we all face one undeniable trut

As a mental health provider and parent, I've seen firsthand how the last few years have reshaped sibling dynamics in unique and sometimes

Ah, parenting. If it were an Olympic sport, we'd all be in the running for gold medals, am I right?

Summer is a time for connection, growth, and fun, but it can also bring moments of heightened emotions and unexpected behaviors, especially

As we find ourselves in summer, many of us are grappling with the reality that the initial excitement of the season has worn off

Children aren’t adults. They must learn on their own that failure is learning and mistakes are nothing to fear.

It's two weeks into summer, and kids are already complaining about being bored. But boredom can actually help them develop skills,...

It's all about the power struggle. We hate them. They happen anyway, and we would really like them to stop.