A Balanced Approach

Getting dressed involves a lot more skills than we sometimes realize.

Instead of expecting your child to complete the whole routine independently, try breaking it into smaller steps.

You might do most of the dressing routine, but pause at one step your child can practice. Once that step becomes easier, gradually give them opportunities to do more.

You can also start at the end of the routine. For example, you put on their shirt but let them pull it down. Over time, they complete more and more of the steps themselves.

The goal isn’t to remove help all at once. It’s to give just enough help for your child to be successful while creating opportunities for independence. 💛

Visual supports aren’t just for children who “need” them.

Think about how often we use visuals as adults: calendars to remember appointments, lists to keep track of tasks, GPS to know where we’re going, and reminders so we don’t forget what comes next.

Children can benefit from that same kind of support.

A visual can help make expectations clearer, show what’s happening next, break a task into manageable steps, or reduce how much information a child has to remember at once.

Using a visual doesn’t mean a child isn’t capable. Sometimes it simply makes the information easier to understand and follow.

And just like any other support, visuals can change or be faded as a child becomes more independent.

#̭parentingtips

A hard moment is not always a teaching moment.

When a child is overwhelmed or dysregulated, they may not be ready to listen, problem-solve, or learn a new skill.

In that moment, keep things simple. Focus on helping them feel safe and regulated first.

Then, once things are calm, come back to the teaching. That’s when you can talk about what happened, practice a different response, or teach a skill for next time.

Sometimes regulation comes first. Teaching comes later. 💛

#̭parentingtips

“No” tells children what to stop doing.

It doesn’t always tell them what to do instead.

Whenever possible, try replacing a “don’t” statement with a clear, positive direction.

Instead of:
❌ “Don’t run.”
Try:
✅ “Walking feet.”

Instead of:
❌ “Stop yelling.”
Try:
✅ “Use your quiet voice.”

Instead of:
❌ “Don’t climb the couch.”
Try:
✅ “Feet stay on the floor.”

This small change gives children a clear picture of what success looks like and creates more opportunities to reinforce the behaviour you want to see.

What’s one direction you could rephrase this week?

The behaviour you see is only part of the story.

Every behaviour has a reason, even if that reason isn’t immediately obvious.

Sometimes children are trying to:
• communicate a need
• escape something difficult
• gain connection or attention
• access something they enjoy
• cope with an overwhelming situation

Curiosity won’t solve every challenge—but it’s often the best place to start.

💙 Understanding behaviour is the first step toward supporting it.

#̭parentingtips

🚫 ABA Myth: Consequences are just punishments.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions I hear from parents.
In behaviour analysis, a consequence is simply what happens after a behaviour. It isn’t automatically something negative.

For example:
✨ Your child cleans up their toys, and you thank them.
✨ They ask politely, and you say yes.
✨ They put on their shoes, and now it’s time to go to the park.

Those are all consequences, too.

The word consequence doesn’t tell us whether something is good or bad—it simply describes what happens after a behaviour. What matters is how that consequence influences future behaviour.

Understanding this small shift can completely change the way we think about behaviour.

💬 What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “consequence”?