Self-regulation is a crucial developmental milestone and I’m thrilled that we are turning our eyes toward self-regulation instead of staying focused on behavior modification through rewards and consequences.

Kids who have been hurt inside connection and relationship protect themselves from getting hurt again.

Hear me out....If I were in charge of giving out superpowers for parents, especially parents of kids with a history of trauma, I'd give you x-ray vision.

Lying is probably the behavior parents seek support with the most. It's confusing. It's triggering.

Felt-safety is an important, yet commonly misunderstood part of parenting a child impacted by trauma (well really, parenting any child or being in any relationship, but we are talking about parenting kids impacted by trauma here).

Connection. Empathizing. Offering choices. These parenting ideas sound good in theory but if you are living with a child who seems chronically angry or won’t get out of bed or is otherwise pretty much always unhappy or dysregulated- none of those parenting suggestions seem to do much good.

Or mad? Or scared? Or overwhelmed? Or shut-down?Why do I make a mountain out of a mole hill? Why can’t I keep it together? Being ignored (or yelled at or cussed at or disrespected or refusing to eat or do a chore or or or or the list is endless) is never going to feel good.

Another episode in the June series on attachment!Today is all about insecure anxious attachment.Anxious attachment is in the category of 'organized' attachment- meaning, the infant figures out an organized way to get their attachment needs met in the best way possible

Here we are with the THIRD episode in this monthly focus on attachment!Today is allllll about secure attachment.

I'll bet you are familiar with this baffling phenomenon.Everything seems great. Fun! Even laughter and real good times.