Susan Hopkins EdD

04/10/2026

One of the most powerful shifts in this work begins with a simple question: why?

Why is this child reacting this way?
Why now?
What’s underneath?

As Stuart Shanker & Co. reminds us, it’s in exploring these “whys” that we begin to find answers that truly matter—answers that can change a child’s trajectory.

This is the heart of Self-Reg: moving beyond the surface, and gently uncovering what a child is experiencing.

Our Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development cohort has begun—and there is still time to join us.

We would love to have you with us.

Learn more: https://self-reg.ca/early-childhood-development-program/

✨ It’s not too late to join. ✨

04/10/2026

I’ve been wanting to share more about this day, because it’s where things often start to come together.

Day 2 — Stress, Learning, and the Five Domains

Once we begin to see that stress is at the root, the question becomes—how?

How is it showing up across the biological, emotional, cognitive, social, and prosocial domains?

What I always find interesting about this day is how people begin to notice patterns they hadn’t seen before.

Things that felt disconnected… start to make sense.

You can see it in early years settings.
In classrooms.
In ourselves.

There’s something about understanding the domains that changes how we interpret what’s happening in the moment.

And that opens up different ways of responding.

You can explore the full program and register here:
self-reg.ca/srss

And learn more about the presenters here:
https://self-reg.ca/srss-2026-presenters/

04/10/2026

This paper made me wonder (again, but deeper this time) about how easy it is for any of us to be misled by AI generated facts. It's certainly happened to me! And I wonder how many educators and parents are landing on information about children and youth wellbeing that's complete rubbish, even if they are good at checking sources and verifying content.

We are all vulnerable to getting roped in and swayed. This is quite the paper. Funny and not at the same time.

Bixonimania doesn’t exist except in a clutch of obviously bogus academic papers. So why did AI chatbots warn people about this fictional illness?

04/09/2026

Thank you, Stuart Shanker & Co.,for grounding us in what matters most.

We all want children to learn, to explore, to be curious about the world around them.

But this reminds us—learning doesn’t begin with instruction. It begins with a felt sense of safety.

It’s when a child feels safe and secure that their curiosity can emerge… that they can move out of high alert and into exploration.

This is the foundation for everything that follows.

If this resonates, our Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development cohort begins today—and there is still time to join us.

Learn more: https://self-reg.ca/early-childhood-development-program/

✨ Join us today—there’s still time. ✨

04/08/2026

Thank you, Aviva Dunsiger, for this rich and thoughtful reflection. What stands out so clearly is the way you saw behaviour through a stress lens - and responded with connection, flexibility, and care.

Moments like these remind us that co-regulation often lives in the small, relational shifts we make: inviting a child closer, adjusting the environment, leaning on one another.

It’s not about changing the child, but about reducing the stress.

As you reflect, I wonder: where might there be opportunities in your day to ease a child’s stress through connection and co-regulation?

Read more: https://self-reg.ca/a-sanity-switch-co-reg-in-action-in-a-creative-way/

04/08/2026

Thank you, Stuart Shanker & Co. for this gentle and powerful reminder.

That a simple touch can let a child know: you are not alone.

It’s striking how something so small can have such a profound impact—not only emotionally, but in a child’s body, helping them settle, breathe, and feel safe.

It brings us back to what matters most: connection.

If you’d like to explore this more deeply, our Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development cohort begins April 9th.

Learn more: https://self-reg.ca/early-childhood-development-program/

✨ Beginning tomorrow—join us! ✨

04/07/2026

We all come with different perspectives, different experiences, different ways of understanding.

And when we begin to come together—educators, professionals, families—we open the door to something deeper.

Because when it comes to a child, every voice matters.

✨ What can we learn from one another?
✨ What might we understand together that we couldn’t alone?

This is where real change begins—not in silos, but in connection.

Our Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development cohort begins April 9th—we would love to have you join us.

Learn more: https://self-reg.ca/early-childhood-development-program/

✨ Starting this week—join us! ✨

04/06/2026

Sometimes what looks like “misbehaviour” is a child letting us know something is just too much.

In early years settings, the pace, the noise, the transitions—these can all add up. When we begin to look through a Self-Reg lens, we’re invited to slow down and gently wonder:

✨ What might this child be feeling right now?
✨ Where is the stress coming from?
✨ How can I help them find their way back to calm?

It becomes less about correcting behaviour, and more about understanding the child’s experienceand walking alongside them in it.

This is the heart of Self-Reg.

If you’re feeling called to deepen this way of seeing, our Self-Reg in Early Childhood Development program begins its next cohort on April 9th.

Learn more here: https://self-reg.ca/early-childhood-development-program/

04/06/2026

The key isn’t to deny stress, or pretend it’s all positive. It’s to notice when the extra layers - the blame, the frustration, the “this shouldn’t be happening" thoughts - are keeping us stuck in the muck.

04/03/2026

I’ve been really looking forward to sharing a bit more about each of the days with you.

Day 1 - Understanding the Moment We’re In

There’s a question that keeps coming up in so many conversations right now
- what is going on?

Why things feel harder.
Why behaviour feels more intense.
Why what used to work… isn’t always working in the same way.

We start there.

Not trying to fix it right away - but really taking the time to look underneath what we’re seeing.

The sessions on this first day stay close to that question. What stress is doing. How it’s moving through systems. And what begins to shift when we see it differently.

I’m especially looking forward to the conversations that emerge here - because this is something so many of us are trying to make sense of.

You can explore the full program and register here:
self-reg.ca/srss

And learn more about the presenters here:
https://self-reg.ca/srss-2026-presenters/

04/02/2026

They really are funny.

04/02/2026

You never ever know!