KirbyPoppins

Key differences:

REFLUX:
✨ Spitting up frequently
✨ Arching back during feeds
✨ Poor weight gain

COLIC:
✨ Inconsolable crying 3+ hrs/day
✨ Healthy weight gain
✨ Otherwise thriving

Get a professional diagnosis! 💚

KEY DIFFERENCES:

REFLUX:
Symptoms during/after feeds
Spitting up is prominent
May be refusing feeds
Can cause poor weight gain
Symptoms worsen lying flat
Continuous discomfort

COLIC:
Symptoms unrelated to feeds
No excessive spitting up
Feeds normally
Gaining weight well
Episodes of intense crying
Happy between episodes

COULD IT BE BOTH? Yes! Some babies have reflux AND colic. The crying from reflux pain can overlap with colic patterns.

This is my parenting promise. 💚

No "naughty steps." No isolation for big feelings. No time-outs that teach children their emotions are too much for us to handle.

When a child is struggling, they need us MOST - not banishment. Time-in, not time-out. Connection, not isolation. Co-regulation, not abandonment with their overwhelming feelings.

Discipline and boundaries means "to teach," not "to punish." Our homes should be safe havens where children learn to navigate their emotions WITH our support, not alone in a corner wondering if their feelings make them unlovable.

Big feelings need big presence. They're not giving you a hard time - they're having a hard time. Let's be the calm, connected presence they need. 💚

What does emotional support look like in your home?

Patience isn't something you're born with - it's a muscle you build through daily practice! 💪 Some moments test our limits more than others, and that's completely normal.

Some days it's heavy lifting: toddler tantrums in the grocery store, bedtime resistance for the third hour straight, or the fifteenth "no" in a row. Other days it's cardio: following them around constantly, answering "why" on repeat, or redirecting the same behaviour 47 times.

Every deep breath, every moment we choose calm over chaos, every time we pause before reacting - we're getting stronger. We're not failing when patience feels hard. We're training. We're building emotional muscle that benefits both us and our children.

Progress, not perfection. Some workout days are harder than others, and that's okay! 🌟

How's your patience workout going today? We're in this together!

The children who are given time to play freely become the adults who know how to think creatively. It's not a luxury. It's the foundation. Protect, support and encourage the play!

In my years of caring for children across five countries, I've witnessed this truth daily—each child brings their own unique gifts, challenges, and ways of seeing the world.

As caregivers, our role isn't to make them all the same flower, but to help each one bloom in their own spectacular way. This individualised approach is at the heart of everything I teach.

Coming soon: comprehensive training that shows you how to nurture each child's unique potential! 🌸

What makes the children in your care (or your own children) uniquely special? Share below! 👇