As spring rolls in, many young children start showing unexpected behavior shifts—think meltdowns, school refusal, or sudden clinginess. These aren't random; they’re often signs of stress around the upcoming transition to a new school year. In this post, you’ll learn one simple but powerful way to ease that anxiety by focusing on your child’s growth and building their confidence. Plus, get a sneak peek at the upcoming Big Transitions, Big Feelings workshop designed to support both kids and parents through this emotional season.

When a hurricane is on the horizon, it’s not just about preparing our homes and stocking up on supplies—it's also about taking care of our family's emotional well-being. For children, hurricanes can bring a mix of confusion, fear, and anxiety. It’s perfectly okay to feel overwhelmed yourself, but you can still support your children while managing your own emotions and taking care of all the necessary preparations. It’s a lot to juggle, so I’ve put together some practical tips to help navigate this time with calm and confidence.

Transitioning back to school can be challenging for both parents and children. The start of a new school year brings with it a wave of changes—new expectations, new peers, new teachers, and new environments. With so much "new" to navigate, it’s no wonder we often see an increase in challenging behaviors, like tantrums, whining, rigidity, separation anxiety, or even controlling tendencies.

Last year, my personal and professional worlds collided in a way I never imagined.

Through my work in early intervention, families often come to me during their most vulnerable moments, and after 12 years of this work, I suddenly found myself in my own vulnerable moment, sobbing in a hospital lobby.

The NICU gave me a different perspective on parenting, healing, and support. I hope these reflections can help someone else who is experiencing fear, helplessness, or overwhelm during their parenting journey.

As I rushed through errands with my infant in tow, I was reminded of how parenthood has taught me to embrace a slower pace. This transformation didn't come easy. I used to fight against the interruptions, which only spiked my anxiety and strained my relationship with my children. But I've learned that slowing down creates a more peaceful and connected environment. By accepting the natural pace of childhood, prioritizing what truly matters, and practicing self-compassion, we can foster a nurturing space where both we and our children can thrive.

Want to break the cycle of urgency and find more connection in your parenting?

“My child runs away, hits me, yells for space when they’re upset, but I’ve read I’m support to stay close, so what do I do?”

And my answer is: It depends!

While “staying close” to our children seems to be popular advice in the “gentle parenting” world, it seems to oversimplify a few important points. Staying physically close to some children works for the parent-child duo. However, this can be less than helpful in some circumstances.

With my first child, we didn’t really introduce a screen until around age three. 

When I did, I made some observations about his behavior while watching a show:

He quickly became “glued” to the television, glassy eyes no blinking.


His eyes would water (from not blinking!).


Meltdowns were usually guaranteed to happen when it was time to turn it off.

Literacy is a powerful way for children to rehearse, discuss, and reflect on these common issues. When children hear messages that resonate with their own experiences, they feel understood and their feelings are normalized. Then, they can be more confident in handling the new social issues that may arise. 

Here is a list of books that go beyond “first day of school prep” and extend into the social nuances children often experience at school. 

Time-out is a popular recommendation for discipline in early childhood, but is rejected by the gentle parenting community. Where do gentle parenting and this traditional parenting technique overlap? Here are five points to that parents can implement in their own parenting practice.

Power struggles are an attempt from both parties to control a given situation. They are also a strong energetic exchange. The child senses that the leadership energy is weak, uncertain, uncomfortable, so they lean-in to the situation. If there’s a vacuum of leadership, someone else must step in to vill the void. In this case, the child attempts to become the person in charge.

The parent senses this attempt at dominance and tries to pull the control back. And the tug-of-war ensues.

If the child feels confident energy, they don’t feel the need to explore the dynamic. The leader is confident, so the child feel confident. The child feels safe.

Power struggles are an attempt from both parties to control a given situation. They are also a strong energetic exchange. The child senses that the leadership energy is weak, uncertain, uncomfortable, so they lean-in to the situation. If there’s a vacuum of leadership, someone else must step in to vill the void. In this case, the child attempts to become the person in charge.

The parent senses this attempt at dominance and tries to pull the control back. And the tug-of-war ensues.

If the child feels confident energy, they don’t feel the need to explore the dynamic. The leader is confident, so the child feel confident. The child feels safe.

Here’s a “secret” that will change your life: “I don’t like it” usually doesn’t actually mean the child doesn’t like it. They just don’t have enough nuanced language to express what they’re really thinking.