Craig Knippenberg • Knippenberg, Patterson, Langley and Associates

05/29/2026

A new episode of Legit Parenting Podcast is out now:

"Is My Child Well When the Culture Is Loud" (Part 3)

Your kid's phone isn't just a tool. It's a behavior-shaping machine built to hold attention, harvest data, and keep the scroll going long past "just a few minutes."

In Part 3 of the series, we connect the dots between algorithms, dopamine, and the still-developing prefrontal cortex and why so many families feel like the rules that worked a decade ago suddenly don't anymore. When novelty drives the feed, focus gets hijacked, time disappears, and stopping feels impossible.

So what actually helps?
✅ Delaying social media
✅ Coordinating boundaries with other parents
✅ How phone-free school days can bring back real, face-to-face connection

We also talk about how kids can be pulled toward harmful ideologies, and how online grooming hides inside platforms and games that look perfectly innocent on the surface.

The most powerful long-term protector isn't a tracking app or a perfect filter. It's parental kindness paired with steady, consistent limits.

Your kid doesn't need you to win the tech war. They need you in the room.

Podcast Episode · Legit Parenting · May 14 · 44m

05/22/2026

A lot of parents I talk to want to know if school phone bans are "working." Last week we got our first real data on it.

The National Bureau of Economic Research released the first U.S. causal study on school smartphone bans, and the early finding surprised people. There's no clear evidence yet that the bans reduced screen time or improved kids' psychological wellbeing.
I want to be careful here: that doesn't mean the policy is a bad idea. It means we may be asking the policy to do something it can't do on its own.

Self-regulation isn't something a kid absorbs because a phone is locked away for seven hours. Kids develop regulation the same way they've always developed it — through co-regulation with calm adults, and through small, repeated practice tolerating discomfort.

The phone in the pouch from 8 to 3 doesn't fix what happens at 3:01, or at the dinner table, or at bedtime.

That's where we come in. Not as the phone police, but as the nervous system their nervous system is learning from.

05/19/2026

For families and professionals supporting neuro-exceptional students:

My therapeutic Connect groups are enrolling for summer 2026.

These are small-group settings (10–12 students) designed for real-time skill development in social, emotional, and behavioral areas. It's a different model than individual therapy, and one that addresses behavior as it actually appears, not just as it's described after the fact.

Groups are organized by age (K–3, 4–5/6, Middle School, High School, and Young Adult) We meet weekly for 90 minutes, and include structured caregiver feedback and check-ins.

Summer session starts June 13th. A free consultation is available to assess fit.

Offices in South Denver and Littleton

303-756-4924

Social skills groups, ADHD & autism testing, and counseling for children, teens, and families. Serving Denver and Littleton, Colorado since 1986.

05/15/2026

Real talk for parents who are done with generic advice.

The Legit Parenting podcast covers the stuff that actually comes up, like screen time battles, teen rebellion, talking to your kid so they actually listen, parenting differences with your partner, and a lot more.

Real conversations. No fluff.

🎙️ Available on Apple Podcasts & Spotify

Craig A. Knippenberg, an author, speaker, and educator, invites you to explore the Legit Parenting podcast and discover effective parenting strategies for building resilient families.

05/07/2026

Group therapy hits different when kids are actually having fun.

One of the biggest things families notice? Their kid wants to go. They start making friends. They start hitting their goals.

We're currently offering enrollment for our Connect groups.
PreK through Young Adult
Offered in South Denver & Littleton
Starting June 13th
Link in bio or call 303-756-4924.

05/06/2026

Parenting is hard.
Parenting without guilt is even harder.

My book Shame-Free Parenting is for the parents who love their kids fiercely and still feel like they're getting it wrong.

It's not about being a perfect parent. It's about building resilient kids, even in the messy middle.

Craig A. Knippenberg, an author, speaker, and educator, invites you to explore the Legit Parenting podcast and discover effective parenting strategies for building resilient families.

05/02/2026

Most behavioral interventions address what happened after a child leaves the room.

That's why I built The CONNECT model™️. It's designed around intervening in real time, with real peers, as social and emotional challenges actually occur.

It's a fundamentally different approach to skill-building, and one that's particularly effective for neuro-exceptional students whose behavior is context-dependent and difficult to replicate in individual settings.

If you work with schools, families, or students navigating ADHD, Anxiety, Level 1 ASD, or twice-exceptionality, I'd welcome the chance to connect.

Social skills groups, ADHD & autism testing, and counseling for children, teens, and families. Serving Denver and Littleton, Colorado since 1986.

04/28/2026

Summer is coming, and so is an opportunity.

Our therapeutic groups are enrolling now for the summer session (starting June 13th). These small groups (capped at 10–12 students) focus on the real-time social, emotional, and behavioral skill-building that's hard to replicate elsewhere.

We support kids PreK through young adult. These are perfect for neuro-exceptional students: AD/HD, Twice Exceptional, Anxiety, Depression, and Level 1 ASD.

Here's how it works:
+ Free consultation (in-person or online) to assess fit and set goals
+ 90-minute weekly sessions
+ Ongoing feedback after each session
+ Mid-point and end-of-group check-ins for families
+ South Denver & Littleton
+ $100/session (Sliding scale available)

Visit craigknippenberg.com or call 303-756-4924 to get started.

04/24/2026

Your child isn't wired wrong.

They're just wired differently.

My book Wired and Connected breaks down brain-based solutions for social and emotional challenges in kids, and is written for parents who are exhausted by generic advice and ready for something that actually fits their kid.

If you've ever thought "why doesn't anything work for my child?", this is a great place to start!

Explore 'Wired and Connected' for child brain development and learn from Craig Knippenberg's about raising kids and their ever-changing brains.

04/21/2026

40 years is a long time to do anything.

I've spent four decades in the room with kids, teens, families, and parents as a therapist, school counselor, author, and educator.

What I keep seeing? Kids don't struggle because something is wrong with them. They struggle because no one has shown them how their brain works.

That's what everything at KPLA is built around.
craigknippenberg.com