Open Book Parenting

11/26/2025

11/25/2025

You can't be brave without being afraid; that's a fact! What are your examples of doing something that scared you because you wanted to do it more than you wanted to stay afraid?

11/23/2025

Sometimes those of us who are especially attentive, loving, attuned and present parents spend so much time processing things with our anxious child that we keep them trapped in their anxiety. We join them in those intrusive anxious thoughts by talking about them, ruminating on them, and processing them. If you need help developing language around this, check out my site and see if working with me might help.

11/22/2025

How does this look? It looks like saying, "I know you feel scared of putting your face in the water AND I know putting your face in the water is safe." or "I understand that you're scared of reading your book report to the class tomorrow AND I know you can get through it to the other side." We don't have to talk them OUT of feeling some kind of way, we just need to help them not let that feeling stop them.

11/21/2025

What a gift you offer when you allow someone the great pleasure of being a helper! And what an example you set for your children when you ask for the help that you need and then graciously receive it. How intertwined we all are in this lovely and challenging world!

11/20/2025

Need a school fundraiser that's super easy to implement AND can make a positive difference for the students and families your school community? Reach out to me to learn about how we can partner to bring my services to your school and send 50% of tuition back to your program. Direct message me or comment on this post and let's talk about it!

11/19/2025

Things are rough right now and we are ALL feeling it (me included). This is an excerpt from the Child Anxiety FAQ podcast. Get the whole episode wherever you get your favorite podcasts.

11/18/2025

This is a mistake lots of us make and in fact is one of the Parenting Pitfalls! Understanding this really lets us off the hook. If we don't have to make our child STOP being nervous then we can focus on helping them learn to be nervous and then do the thing anyway. Nervous is just part of doing some things. Nervous is just part of being human.

11/16/2025

You do not have to make your sad child happy, your angry child calm or your scared child confident. Sadness, anger, and fear are all morally neutral ways to feel and we have to cope with the yuck so that we can learn to move through it. No feeling lasts forever. 🧡

11/15/2025

Wait for the meltdown to pass before peppering them with questions like, "What's wrong? Why are you so upset?" Or directives like, "Take a deep breath! That's not nice language!" You can hold them responsible for meltdown behavior AFTER the fact, but focus on consequences, not punishment. What's the difference? Punishment is meant to cause suffering. Consequences are results you might expect from such behavior. Not sure about the difference? Reach out.