Tamara Malinoff, Psychoeducator

06/15/2025

Looking for some fun🤩movement and song 🎶for your little ones? Don’t miss out on this, Hannah is wonderful!😍Check it out: Loving Our Littles

Our Musical Littles will have 3 weeks of summer sessions! ☀️

Join me between June 23rd – July 11th at Fairview Park for a chance to dance, sing, and play outside with your little ones!

Register here: https://www.lovingourlittles.com/registration

05/28/2025

Love this!❤️

I will be the first to admit – whining is the key to making my eyes roll. And of course, if one child starts whining, there’s usually another on standby to keep the volume steady while the first one catches their breath. So. Incredibly. Helpful. 🙄

And no, it never happens during peaceful, quiet moments. Whining loves to show up when we’re already late walking out the door, or when I’ve answered the same question three times and the answer wasn’t liked—so the child tries to whine their way into a different outcome. Spoiler alert: It doesn’t work.

Homeschooling (and just having my kids around a lot) has taught me the value of checking my own emotions before I respond out of frustration.

Here’s my go-to: I take a deep breath. Sometimes two. Sometimes five. And when I feel my frustration rising, I’ll literally say, “I need to calm down a bit before I can respond to you.”

Do I do this perfectly? Nope. Not even close. But that gives me the chance to apologize and show my kids what it looks like to take ownership when I mess up—especially when I respond out of frustration.

10/29/2024

Children need our attention and often lack the necessary skills to ask 🗣

Some need more ❤️ than others and may ask for it in the most unloving ways.

What is emotional regulation? It is the ability to control how and when emotions are expressed.

Big feelings are difficult for young children to navigate, 😡🥺😭so it is our job as parents to model and teach because they are still learning 🧠.

Young children do not have the ability as adults to self-regulate. This is a lifelong process with rapid development through early childhood. How many of us can lose our cool? 🤔

Children need ongoing support with social and emotional learning🤗.

This happens in their every day routines at home, school and any other social interactions.

It is easy to love someone when they are loveable; let’s choose to see the best in the ones who need it the most❤️

07/12/2024

Hi! My name is Tamara Malinoff, I am a psychoeducator (licenced mental health counselor) and certified Child Behavior Specialist in Montreal, Canada. Working at a local hospital and in private practice, I am passionate about helping my clients thrive, to encourage raising emotionally healthy children and teens, while supporting their parents is at the core of my practice.

Someone once said to me: “What’s in a diagnosis?”, words that I held on to over the years and use in my practice when working with families. We do not need a diagnosis to learn new tools and strategies. A diagnosis helps us to understand and meet them where they are at; however, it does not define the person, they are the same wonderful unique, special individual before, during, and after the assessment.

This fall, I am so excited to be part of the faculty for the Teen Behavior Certification Program (TBCP), sharing all about “What’s in a diagnosis?”: an overview of neurodivergent teenagers, helping teens and families through the “storm”, ASD and the transgender connection, how to support parents whose teen is in therapy and more.

Tamara Malinoff, Psychoeducator

07/05/2024

Comparing ourselves to others can often rob us of our joy.
Likewise, comparing our children to siblings or peers, can create doubt, worry and even shame in a child’s abilities.
Each child will find their own unique path throughout the lifespan, with their own special qualities.
Hold tight to your joy, in their timing, they will thrive!❤️

06/21/2024

This program was the best decision to further enhance my practice. If you work with children, teens, families, check it out. It’s truly one of a kind ❤️

06/19/2024

As the school year comes to an end, many are looking forward to their favorite familiar places like summer camps (day or sleepaway), and family vacations. While it is an exciting time, it is also a time of transition. Transitions can be challenging for both children and parents.

Some parents may ease into the relaxed routine of not having to prepare lunches and rush out in the morning, or finally booking that vacation abroad; while others might be stressed trying to find activities or camps to provide a balanced summer of fun activities, they hope their children will enjoy. 🏕🏖🎢🏊🏻‍♀️🚴‍♂️

For some children, it is a welcomed break and for others, it can cause mixed emotions; increased stress, especially for children who are less adaptable to change. 😬

For tips to help children transition to summer vacation, click the link in o read more on the blog✍️: https://tamaramalinoff.com/child-development/helping-children-transition-to-summer-vacation/

Wishing all our children, families and educators a safe and wonderful summer! ❤️

04/02/2024

Today is Autism Awareness Day💙 and April is Autism awareness month💙, a cause particularly close to my heart💙

Autism is not a disease. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that disrupts brain functioning, perception of the world, interests and sensory development compared to other so-called normal or “neurotypical” people.

Depending on the severity of the ASD, people with autism may have greater or lesser verbal, social, behavioral or sensory difficulties. There are as many forms of autism as there are people with autism.

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀...

🧩Having difficulty using both verbal and non-verbal language to understand and communicate with others

🧩Not knowing how to read the emotions of others or picking up on social cues

🧩Becoming dysregulated by the slightest change, which is why consistency and routines creates a sense of security

🧩Being hypersensitive to sounds, smells and touch

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁...

🚫Not being able to have emotions (autistic people feel emotions like everyone else, but have difficulty understanding or expressing them)

🚫Not feeling pain (when a person with autism is in pain, he or she cannot express it, which can be interpreted as insensitivity)

🚫Being gifted or a genius like Rain Man (only a minority of autistic people have extraordinary cognitive abilities, while 50% may have an intellectual disability)

“The world needs different kinds of minds to work together”💙

~ Dr. Temple Grandin

04/01/2024

𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝘼𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙡!🌷

They say laughter is the best medicine😂

Did you know we are not born with a sense of humor? It is a skill we need to develop.

Laughing together is a way to connect, and a good sense of humor can also help cope with challenges.

Having a good sense of humor helps kids emotionally and socially, plus, there are many more benefits.

Research has shown that people who laugh more are healthier, less likely to be depressed and may even have an increased resistance to illness.

Read more about developing children’s sense of humor.

https://tamaramalinoff.com/early-childhood/developing-childrens-sense-of-humor/
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02/29/2024

𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫! 🗣️👂👩‍👦‍👦❤️
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐞𝐧𝐬.

Parents often use verbal communication to motivate their teens to behave a certain way and to cooperate. Developmentally, this is the age where parents, although still present to guide, are to be put on the back burner as peers are the primary source of influence and preference.

A recent study published in the Journal Developmental Psychology* looked at two common parenting styles when speaking to their teens: 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 (controlling) and 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 (autonomous-supportive). The purpose was to find which one is more effective at motivating teens to follow through and successfully complete tasks they were asked to do.

Read more… https://tamaramalinoff.com/parenting/listen-to-your-mother-teens-response-to-verbal-communication/

02/09/2024

In the first six years of life, the development of brain maturity is largely about working through self-control, emotional control, and sifting through immediate or delayed gratification. So, we can now imagine how children can sometimes seem all over the place and that they tend to fly by the seat of their emotional pants. This is why a child can easily go from a calm state to out of control and crying.

As adults, we are guiding and role modeling so how we communicate with our children is critical. Children are very literal thinkers at this age and need concrete language.

Sometimes it may seem hard for parents to know what to say to a child to invite their cooperation. One way is to show our appreciation to each one for their individual qualities and that this family just would not be the same without them. When we use descriptive language to point out our observations rather than using words like “nice” which can be subjective. So, rather than general statements like “Great job!”, say: “Yay! You put your jacket on and zipped it up all by yourself!”. This demonstrates to a child that they are seen, and we are letting them know specifically what it is that was noticed.

We want to celebrate each child for the beauty they bring to the family, to their classroom, community, along with the joy and uniqueness they bring to the world. Our role as parents, grandparents, educators, and caregivers during their growing years is to point out the positive effect a child has by pointing out these qualities and make room for a child to practice who they are from that positive perspective.
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01/25/2024

It s such an exciting time at The Early Years as we get to celebrate each of our wonderful new grads.

Please meet our recent new grad, Tamara Malinoff, Psychoeducator!

𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿’𝘀 𝗖𝗕𝗖𝗣. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗿’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁é 𝗱𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿é𝗮𝗹; 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼é𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘂𝗿𝘀 𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼é𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝘂 𝗤𝘂é𝗯𝗲𝗰 (𝗢𝗣𝗣𝗤). 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻, 𝗮𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀. 𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲’𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀.

“𝙍𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮, 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡.”

If you'd like to work with Tamara you can find her here:
www.tamaramalinoff.com