Childhood Behavior Solutions

In the midst of the noise and the to-do lists, may this season remind us that love shows up quietly—
in small moments, deep breaths, and imperfect parents who keep showing up.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours 🤍

📸: Hilary Mauro Photography

Happy Summer!

Summer is finally here! Warmer temps, ice cream, swimming, family trips, play dates, playgrounds, late nights - we are here for it! Summer also brings unstructured time, change in routines, and more transitions which can be VERY hard for kids (and parents!) Want to go into the summer feeling confident in how to manage your kiddo’s behavior? I’m here to help! With individualized interventions to support your family’s needs, you will know exactly what to do to make your summer a great one. Contact me to set up a consult today!

Join us for our first in a series of parenting support groups in collaboration with Childhood Behavior Solutions

Some great info shared by my friend as we head back to school!

Making sure your child's immune system is equipped with back to school protection Back to school is just about a week away and leading up to the official start we are getting some advice from Rochester Regional Health on how to prepare both p

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on
Our troubles will be out of sight…

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year!

It’s that time again! Summer was over in a blink and now it’s back to school. Here are some of my go-to strategies to help ease the transition, whether it is to a new school, day care, classroom, etc:

🔅Prep: read books, involve them in school supply shopping, practice the morning routine, talk about getting on and off the bus, make a countdown visual/calendar (or good ‘ole paper chain!), have them repeat teacher’s name and their bus number.

🔅Feelings “check-in”: ask them periodically how they are feeling about going back to school. Validate that change can be hard and starting something new can make you feel worried since you don’t know what to expect. Causally talk about times when you’ve felt worried or didn’t know what to expect. Normalize these feelings and provide a safe space for them to emote.

🔅Connect: leave a note in their lunchbox, draw a heart on their hand or a get bracelet for their wrist to remind them that you love them no matter what, even when you’re apart.

🔅Focus on the positive: talk about how exciting it is to make new friends, to learn new things, and that there will be a little celebratory treat waiting for them when they get home.

It takes about a month or so to get acclimated to a new routine. Expect some highs and lows as they (and you!) are adjusting. You’ve got this. Wishing you all a happy, safe school year! 📚✏️📓🚌

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Tips and Scripts for a successful Target run:

🎯Prep: “Today is a ‘looking day’ at Target. That means we only look at the toys, not get them. If you see something you like, we can put it on our birthday/Christmas/Hanukkah wishlist.”

🎯Give them a job/purpose: “I need your help finding a gift for your friend’s birthday party.” “Can you help me find the pjs?” “Let’s go on a hunt for ______!”

🎯Distract: “Let’s count how many Target doggies we see!” “Can you find things that are pink?” “Let’s play I spy!”

🎯Validate: “I know it’s hard when you can’t get what you want. Remember, we can add this to your wishlist and get it another time.”

🎯 Praise: “I love how you’re staying close to me.” “Wow, what a great listener you are! You must’ve put your listening ears on in the car.” “Good job putting that toy back!” “Thank you for being my helper!”

🎯The cashiers have stickers at check-out. Ask for some if your kiddos were good listeners!

Disclaimer: There was a good amount of whining and they asked for toys about 400 times. This is developmentally appropriate. Expect it and plan for it. Know your triggers and breathe though it. Also, it is really hard to get a picture of 3 kids all looking at the camera and smiling. You can’t tell by their faces, but they had fun 😂

Happy shopping!

Do you avoid taking your child to the store because they will misbehave? Are you constantly walking on egg shells to prevent your child from having a meltdown? Do you feel ashamed when other parents stare at you as your kid leaves the playground kicking and screaming? You’ve been there. I’ve been there. You are not alone.

Being a parent is a job. A 24/7 job, in fact. Most parents do not have an instructional manual to tell them how to manage their child’s challenging behaviors. When you start a job, there’s new hire orientation, training, modules, observations, practice, shadowing, etc. Why isn’t this more readily available for parents, who arguably have one of the most difficult jobs? Good news, there is. I can help. Let me develop an individualized plan for your family so that you feel better prepared to respond to your child’s behaviors. I will coach you on evidence-based techniques that will decrease your child’s behavior while increasing their coping skills and frustration tolerance. You will be able to take them to the playground without dreading telling them it’s time to go. You and your child will have more positive interactions. You can stop questioning yourself or feeling defeated at the end of the day.

Your child’s behavior is NOT a reflection of you as a parent. The tantrums, aggression, defiance, etc. are all part of their brain development. It’s time you had the tools and resources to develop with them. You don’t have to do this alone!

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Our first trip as a family of 5 is in the books! While .newyork certainly did not disappoint, it was quite the haul with three kiddos under the age of 5. Trips with young ones are hardly a vacation for parents, am I right?! I wanted to share some of my go-to strategies to make your next trip less stressful and more enjoyable:

🔅Pre-teach: Talk to your kiddos a couple weeks in advance to prepare them for what is to come. They will know what to expect which will offer a sense of control and relief. We watched a Legoland video on YouTube about 100 times (shout out to !) and had my two older ones practice having a sleepover with each other. We also talked about staying together at the park and other safety measures (wearing sunscreen, staying hydrated, etc). Encourage them to ask any questions they have ahead of time!

🔅Praise: Provide specific, meaningful praise when your kiddos are behaving. Even if it seems small, praise them for it. “I love the way you are holding my hand in the parking lot.” “Great job asking for help tying your shoe!” “Thank you for telling me that you’re thirsty.” The more you acknowledge the good, the more good they will do.

🔅Accept: Meltdowns are going to happen, and guess what? It’s ok. When the routine is off, things are overstimulating, or they are hungry/hot/tired, meltdowns are inevitable. Oh, your kids will have meltdowns, too (😉).

🔅Stay in the moment: This is a hard one for me because I’m always thinking about next steps but this is arguably the most important advice. Try to live in the moment. Stare at those happy, sweaty faces and soak it all in. Bask in their curiosity and imagination. You are creating these family memories and it would be a shame if you let these moments pass you by.

🔅Snacks on hand at all times. Period.

What is your go-to advice for traveling with kiddos? Comment below!

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