Natalie Spencer, LCPC

07/24/2025

We are sponsoring watermelon day for a free camp run by LEARNATURE

07/21/2025

07/08/2025

We forget sometimes - because they talk like us, argue like us, and push back like us — that they are not like us. Not yet.

Children are not mini adults. Their brains are still forming. Their nervous systems are still calibrating. Their sense of self, their impulse control, their ability to see another’s perspective — it’s all still under construction.

The brain doesn’t finish developing until well into the twenties. And the parts responsible for emotional regulation, understanding consequences, and empathy? They’re among the last to mature.

So when we expect them to behave with the steadiness of someone fully grown, we’re not setting a boundary — we’re setting them up.

They need space to be loud, impulsive, reactive, and real. Not because they’re choosing to be difficult, but because they’re still developing the tools to do anything else.

Every meltdown, every pushback, every wobble is a chance to learn, not a sign of failure.

Let them be little. That’s where the real growth begins. ❤️

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07/02/2025

In need of housing?
Walk-in housing assessments are now available every Tuesday and Wednesday through our housing program, Lion House!

No appointment needed—just come by.
Details 👇🏽.

06/25/2025

06/24/2025

We spend years raising our children — teaching, guiding, correcting. But at the end of it all, one thing matters more than any milestone: 

Do they still want a relationship with us when they’re grown?

Not out of guilt. Not out of obligation.
But because being around us makes them feel safe. Seen. Worthwhile.

That kind of relationship says something powerful:
That they didn’t just follow our rules — they trusted our presence.
That we didn’t just shape their behaviour — we protected their spirit.

Those children grow up feeling accepted in their wholeness, not shamed into obedience or loved only when they please…

And so when the time comes, they leave with confidence — not wounds.

And they come back not because they should, or have to — but because they want to. ❤️

Quote Credit: Paul Orfalea ❣️

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06/22/2025

Check out my TikTok!

Check out nattybaddytherapist’s video.

06/20/2025

06/18/2025

💯

06/07/2025

We keep trying to “fix” our child’s behaviour, before we “fix” our connection with them.

When we connect before we correct, we often end up not needing to correct the behaviour because we feel like we understand it.

We can try to protect our children without controlling them.

We can nurture them without correcting them all the time.

You will find yourself correcting.

What I’m inviting you to think about is how you might switch to connection, when you find yourself correcting.

We can connect instead of correct.

I have some exciting news… I have released a new EBook!! I have taken the Connect Instead of Correct Challenge and turned it into a book. Why?! Because I basically explain how to connect instead of correct in most of the common scenarios that parents ask about.

Some topics covered
- Bedtime
- Getting ready in the morning
- Out in public (public dysregulation, material wants, impatience, incentives vs. rewards)
- Mealtimes
- Messes
- Aggression
- “Rude” behaviour
- Safety concerns

And so much more…

I also explain the “why” behind all this, including a lot of links to research and additional resources to support your learning. Even if you aren’t ready for the challenge, the book will help you understand this approach in a way I just can’t teach via IG.

Take the Connect Instead of Correct Challenge!

4 weeks to a more connected relationship with your child

Week 1: Try not to correct for a week

Week 2: Replace correction with connection

Week 3: Reflect on the times your were able to be more connected.

Week 4: “Yes Day” (child-led, yes day) and reflection.

For ages 1-12

Link in bio or the website www.responsiveparentinginspirations.com

02/22/2025

💗Non-binary people are valid. End of story.
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Digital illustration of a non-binary person with brown skin, and wavy dark brown hair tucked into into a bun. They have a beard, nose ring, and silver chain necklace. They are wearing a purple shirt that reads, 'nonbinary people are valid' with light pink pants and white sneakers