Supadupakids

08/12/2025

💡 🎄 🦌

03/12/2025

A new study in Pediatrics found that twelve-year-olds who owned smartphones were more likely to experience depression and obesity and not get enough sleep than their peers without one. Consistent communication with children and teens about smartphones and screen time can help make sure that phones don’t crowd out important activities like exercise, sleep, and quality time with friends and family. Learn more in AAP News: https://bit.ly/3KvYJkB

01/12/2025

Hello December! ✨ There's something about this time of year that we absolutely love. That sparkle in every child's eyes. The spontaneous laughter. The chance to really nurture those family bonds that matter most.
This is prime time for making memories that shape your child's world.

Here's our festive challenge for you:
Swap some screen time for sun time. Pull out those dusty board games. Get flour everywhere while baking cookies. Turn your backyard into an adventure zone.

And parents? This one's for you:
This is your permission to connect with your own inner child. Let your kids see the lighter, brighter side of you this festive season. Dance in the kitchen. Be silly. Laugh at the mess.

We know the reality, though. December can be exhausting. Some days you'll feel more Grinch than festive elf, and that's completely normal.

Over the coming weeks, we'll be sharing practical ways to navigate those tougher moments while still creating the magic your family deserves.

Because here's the truth: Fatigue might be real, but it doesn't have to steal these precious moments.
You've got this. And we've got you.

Let's make this December one to remember. 🎄

17/11/2025

Where's Genie from Aladdin when you need him?

15/11/2025

07/11/2025

You can feel it creeping in. Your tolerance is thinner. That sense of humour you usually rely on? Barely there. Things you'd normally brush past now feel insurmountable. You're heading into the final stretch, and it shows everywhere. Behaviours are shifting. Routines keep getting disrupted. Everyone's regulation capacity (including yours) is running on empty. And you're exhausted.

Here's what I need you to know:
You're working incredibly hard with the tools you have right now.
Understanding temperament doesn't add to your workload. It helps you respond with compassion and clarity instead of second-guessing every decision you make.

Research shows that when educators understand temperament frameworks, they respond with precision and empathy rather than frustration (Rothbart & Bates, 2006, Handbook of Child Psychology).

Here's what actually changes when you match your approach to each child's neurobiological needs:
The behaviours that puzzled you start making sense. You're not guessing anymore. You're responding from understanding.

The strategies you choose become more effective. You know why something works for this child but not that one.
You feel more confident in your responses. Less second-guessing. More certainty.

You stop wondering "am I doing this right?" You start knowing "this child needs this specific support right now."

You deserve to end this year feeling capable, not depleted.

Understanding temperament won't make the hard days disappear. But it will help you make sense of them and respond with the confidence you've earned.

Take the Educator Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/Temperament_Quiz/
Take the Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child

29/10/2025

The Hidden Lesson

When we rush, they hurry.
When we panic, they fear.
When we pause, they learn peace.🤎

24/10/2025

You know that child who's a little clingy at drop-off? Doesn't really know how to join in with their friends. Gets easily overwhelmed when it's too noisy. Struggles with moving from one activity to the next or changes in routine.
This is your Turtle child. Turtle children are sensitive. They feel things deeply and need patience and support from us.

Here's what you need to know:
They're not being defiant when they refuse to engage or shut down. They're overwhelmed. And we need to go gently with them.

What helps:
→ Encourage them in one-on-one situations first
→ Then smaller groups
→ Gradually build their confidence for larger groups
→ Create predictable routines so they know what to expect
→ Give them preparation time for transitions
→ Provide the emotional support they need

When you work on building trust in your relationship with them, they start to thrive.

I'm Tarryn Kihn, Clinical Psychologist.
In my masterclass on November 4th - Inside Out: Understanding Temperament - I'm going through all the different temperaments (not just Turtles) and giving you practical strategies you can use when things get tricky.
I'd love to see you there.

📅 Tuesday, 4th November | 10am or 6pm AEST💰 $36
Register: https://www.supadupakids.com/Masterclass_Temperament/

24/10/2025

You've got loads of behaviour management strategies. Sometimes they work. Often they don't.
And you're confused about why. Here's what changes everything: Every child has a different nervous system. When we categorise children into temperament styles, suddenly their behaviour makes sense. We understand how they'll respond to situations, what they need to learn, how they channel their energy, and how they process sensory experiences.
And we know whether they'll stay calm and regulated or become dysregulated.

I'm Tarryn Kihn, Clinical Psychologist.
In my masterclass on November 4th, I'm showing you exactly how to identify these temperaments - Tigers, Owls, Turtles, and Dolphins - and what each one needs.

🤓👍Practical strategies you can use immediately.
🤓👍Proactive approaches that prevent challenging behaviours before they happen.

This is going to make teaching so much easier for you.
Join me.
📅 Tuesday, 4th November | 10am or 6pm AEST
💰 $36 Early bird pricing
Register: https://www.supadupakids.com/Masterclass_Temperament/

24/10/2025

The child who hangs back during group activities isn't being shy. They're wired for caution.
Research on temperament shows that some children have strong Behavioural Inhibition Systems - they need time to observe situations before engaging (Kagan, 1994).

This isn't a deficit. It's their nervous system doing exactly what it's designed to do: gather information before participating.

What may not work:
Pushing them to join immediately and calling attention to their hesitation

What helps:
Narrate what's happening without pressure: "I see you're watching how the game works. When you're ready, there's a spot here for you." Give them 5-10 minutes of observation time.

Their system needs this processing period to feel safe.
This is Owl temperament in action.

When you understand this, you stop seeing hesitation as a problem and start seeing it as their learning style.

Want to identify which children in your care have this temperament pattern?
Take the Child Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

Learn how to support all four temperament patterns:

Live Masterclass with Clinical Psychologist Tarryn Kihn
📅 4th November | 10am or 6pm AEST
💰 $36 (BLACK FRIDAY EARLY BIRD - ends 4th Nov)
Register: https://www.supadupakids.com/Masterclass_Temperament/

21/10/2025

Let's cross the Bridge from Educator Quiz to Child Quiz - Over 1,030+ educators have discovered their temperament patterns. They finally understand why some days flow beautifully whilst others feel impossible. Here's the missing piece: understanding the children you support.

Introducing the Child Temperament Quiz -
a 2-minute quiz designed for educators to identify temperament patterns in children.

How to use it:
1. Think of one specific child in your classroom
2. Complete the quiz answering as that child
3. Discover their temperament pattern
4. Understand what their nervous system needs

Example: If you're an 🦉Owl (calm, methodical) and they're a 🐬Dolphin (high-energy, social), what feels like "challenging behaviour" is actually two different nervous systems with opposite needs.

Take the Child Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/ (link available in bio)

Want to learn exactly how to respond to each temperament?

Join Clinical Psychologist Tarryn Kihn for a live masterclass:
Inside Out: Understanding Temperament and Challenging Behaviours

📅 Tuesday, 4th November | 10am or 6pm AEST
💰 BLACK FRIDAY: $36 (Reg $72)
Register: https://www.supadupakids.com/Masterclass_Temperament/

18/10/2025

When it comes to the amount of time kids spend on smartphones and tablets, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt says it's necessary to find a balance.