Laurel Johnson Consulting

Just a few days left to enroll!
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Our 8 week late summer session begins next week. There’s still space for infants, toddlers, and in the new online Parent Guidance class.
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👉🏼Find more info and enroll on the website!
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Here are a few kind words that parents have shared on Google 💗🙏🏼(read more at the link in profile):
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“Laurel’s playgroup is the highlight of my week with my daughter.”
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“The parent-child classes have been invaluable for both me and my child.”
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“Even if you have never heard of RIE, her class is such a nice way to be around other parents.”
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“Laurel’s classes are so beyond incredible.”
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Can’t wait to share space with y’all… see you in class!

A facilitated, ongoing weekly opportunity to connect with other families of children 0-3 and learn about the Educaring® Approach in a safe, nurturing, and respectful small group environment (max 7 families). Classes will meet online without children present to support parents’ ability to speak freely about their questions and challenges.
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Each week we will discuss a different RIE® principle. There will be time and space for each family to check in about the previous week, share their perspective about how the principle relates to their child’s current development, and ask questions.
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Reach out to learn more or register!

If you’re curious about the nuts and bolts of how I slowly built my mindfulness practice over the past 10 years, check out my most recent blog post. You’ll hear about
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✨mindful self-compassion
✨how I keep my legs from falling asleep
and
✨my first weeklong silent retreat
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I can’t tell you how meditation will impact your life. All I can do is share my experience and let you know that it’s one of the best gifts you’ll ever give yourself. It’s never too late to start.
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Check it out over on the blog (link in profile)!
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[Image description: Laurel is kneeling in meditation posture in a cob hut facing a window with her back to the camera.]

I made my first for my nephew’s airplane ride this week and I had a blast filling it up with tasty tidbits. It can be tricky to find screen-free activities to occupy toddlers and young kiddos on long journeys but there are options! What has worked well for you this summer so far? ✈️🚞🚗

Looking for things to do this summer with your toddler?
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Come check out our 5 week summer session for young toddlers in NE PDX. We will meet Tuesdays: 6/18, 6/25, 7/2, 7/9 and 7/16 from 9-10:30.
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Come see what it’s like to be part of a supportive, thoughtful group of families.
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Benefits for parents:
✨Community! A place to connect
and build relationships with other parents in a safe, relaxed, respectful, and non-judgemental space
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✨A weekly opportunity to slow down and be present with your child
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✨Support with troubleshooting challenges and a place to discover resources and information about child development
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Benefits for kiddos:
✨An opportunity to interact and build relationships with other children
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✨An environment that supports a sense of authenticity, security, autonomy, competency, and connection
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✨The ability to explore with confidence in a peaceful, predictable, safe, and engaging physical environment
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Register at link in profile. Hope to see you soon!

I have been mulling over this post for a good long time. I know that the new year often brings a renewed interest in intentions, resolutions, and the development of supportive habits.
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If you’ve ever been curious about mindfulness and how one might go about establishing a meditation practice, you might be interested in this brief recap of my journey and finding out the *four little words* that set the stage for me to adopt this life-altering practice.
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👉🏼Check it out over on the blog (link in profile) and stay tuned for part 2!
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[Image description: Laurel is kneeling in meditation posture in a field of grass with hills in the background.]

There’s still time to register for Monday’s Tending Together Parent Group! This month we’ll be reading and discussing two articles:
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✨I Want to Wear a Diaper Today! by Ksenia Belous
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and
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✨Toilet Training in One Simple Step by Robin Einzig
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Toilet learning is on so many parents’ minds and there are a multitude of approaches to “potty training.”
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These articles offer a (dare I say) radical new perspective to anyone who is curious about the process for guiding and supporting children
through this process.
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Hope to see you Monday from 8-9pm PST.
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Register at the link in profile 🙌🏼
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

I was checking out at Trader Joe’s yesterday and I asked the cashier how her day was going. She made a comment about how busy it had been and I wondered why. She looked at me like I was a buffoon and asked incredulously, “Are you serious?!” like there was some obvious reason that the first Sunday in December would obviously be utterly chaotic.
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I was caught so off guard, I didn’t know where to take the conversation from there. I wanted to wonder with her…
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But really… why?
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Is it the plethora of tempting and enchantingly packaged holiday sweets?
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Are folks hosting other folks thaaaat much more in December that they would need to descend upon all grocery stores as if snowpocalypse were on the horizon?
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This disdain for my naivete was hurtful, sure, but it also made me curious.
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Does it have to be that way?
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Do we just enter into December resigned to the fact that we’ll just white knuckle our way through the next four weeks?
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I don’t think it has to be that way.
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And hence, this blog post was born.
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I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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💁🏻‍♀️How do you balance activity and rest during the holidays?
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💁🏻‍♀️How do you ensure you’re meeting your own needs?
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💁🏻‍♀️How do you choose what you’ll do (and also what you won’t do)? Who you’ll see (and who you won’t see)?

Looks like the last time I posted was… 🫣 10 weeks ago?!
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Whew. It’s been busy. Where to begin??
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1. I found out I had been awarded a Comcast RISE small business grant that I’d applied for earlier in the summer while I was far off-grid canoeing on Vancouver Island.
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2. I started teaching at community college. I’m teaching an environments class in the Early Childhood Ed department. It’s been exciting and terrifying and such a learning experience in so many ways.
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3. I completed my 3rd (and final) internship co-facilitating RIE® Foundations with Shannon Carr and Erica Shimada. It was an incredible experience… such a tight-knit group and SO many connections being made between ideas, experiences, and, of course, each other.
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4. I went on the longest backpacking trip I’ve been on in 7 years (40 miles!). We lucked out with great weather (never mind the frozen solid hiking boots), a spectacular canyon, the company of delightful women, and an only slightly waning gibbous moon.
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I’m glad to be back in this space and look forward to hopping back into a more regular posting schedule.
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What have you been up to??
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

I've had a few rare spots open up in my RIE-inspired class for parents and children who are crawling. Our late fall/early winter session full of play, exploration, curiosity, and joyful interaction meets on Mondays from noon-1:30pm through 12/18 (and restarts again in the new year). Come join us for a relaxed weekly opportunity to connect with other like-minded parents and caregivers, ask questions about child development, and receive support with navigating the joys and struggles of parenthood. You can register on my website laurel-johnson.com/classes. Please reach out with any questions! Take good care, Laurel

Looking forward to assisting with my third (and final 🤞🏼) RIE® Foundations course this fall. I’ll be joining RIE® Associate Shannon Carr for this entirely virtual opportunity.
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We’ll meet Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10:30am-2:30pm Central Time beginning October 3rd and running until October 19th with a required computer set-up for an hour on 9/28.
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Let me know if you have any questions or are interested in learning more about how this course can support your parenting and/or professional development!

There’s still time to register for tonight’s free gathering!
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No worries if you haven’t listened to the podcast 🤗 We’ll be discussing:
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🤳🏼The role technology plays in OUR lives as parents and caregivers
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📺The role technology plays in our kiddos’ lives
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💫Our visions for what things could look like (even if they don’t look that way quite yet)
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Look forward to seeing y’all soon! Register via the link in my profile.

I am grateful to have met Dr. Lawrence Cohen almost a year ago already. I have learned so much from his Playful Parenting approach and use it often in my work with families. I’m also grateful that he took the time to share these kind words with me! Thanks, Larry 🤗

The Peace of Wild Things
By Wendell Berry
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When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children’s lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.
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This poem never fails to bring me a bit of peace when the world feels like too much.
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💁🏻‍♀️What words do you turn to for comfort in times of sorrow and uncertainty?

Disequilibrium and trust really can dovetail quite nicely. And trusting involves both leaning in and letting go. It means unclenching. It means tending to ourselves with compassionate curiosity. It means acknowledging the parts of ourselves that desperately want things to go smoothly, to know what we can expect, to be sure that everything will be okay.
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💁🏻‍♀️Can you remember a time where you experienced uncertainty, fear, or impatience in response to a transition or new development in your own life?
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💁🏻‍♀️With hindsight, what would you have told your past self?

Happiest belated papa’s day!
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My pop has a huge heart and has dedicated his life to helping others. He’s given me so much encouragement throughout my life and is always ready to tell me how proud he is of me. He loves the natural world, rocking out to live music, vintage cars, watching indie films, bicycles, and road trips. He’s curious and über friendly and loves a good bargain 🙃
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Love you pop!

Feedback like this truly makes my heart sing!
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*I’m* the one who’s grateful for the privilege to walk alongside all of the delightful families who participate in my classes as they grow and change and learn from and with one another.
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Finding a group of supportive folks who share a similar approach to parenting and can truly relate to what you’re going through is one of the most important things you can do for your mental health as a parent.
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Our 7 week summer session full of play, exploration, curiosity, and joyful interaction begins next week!
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Come join us for a relaxed weekly opportunity to
✨Connect with other like-minded parents and caregivers
✨Ask questions about child development
✨Receive support with navigating the joys and struggles of parenthood
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Kiddos have lots of opportunities to practice those social-emotional skills that will prepare them for preschool and kindergarten one day.
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Class schedule:
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Mondays
10-11:30 Younger Toddlers (walking/12-24 months) *WAITLIST
12-1:30 Crawlers *1 spot remaining
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Fridays
10-11:30 Older Toddlers (25-36 months)
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🙌🏼Snag your spot now by clicking the link in profile.
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I look forward to connecting with you!
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

So excited to dust off the Pikler triangle for summer classes beginning next week!
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Class schedule:
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✨Mondays
10-11:30 Younger Toddlers (walking/12-24 months) *WAITLIST
12-1:30 Crawlers *1 spot remaining
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✨Fridays
10-11:30 Older Toddlers (25-36 months)
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[One happy customer! My nephew with his very own Pikler triangle that I made to match the one we use in class… which I also made 🤗 Actually now we’ll have TWO triangles for class… Courtney’s and mine!]
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[Image description: A smiling baby wearing a striped long sleeved onesie is standing up holding on to the rungs of a Pikler triangle made of white oak.]

I adore this quote. Magda was so spot on. It can be easy to tell ourselves that our relationships with children exist *outside* of these interactions when, in reality, these routines take up a MAJOR chunk of an infant or toddler’s waking hours.
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Finding ways to collaborate and engage with playfulness and joy in these moments is truly the work of caregiving. Because it’s easy (or often easier) to connect in cuddly moments or during play or while out exploring but if you’re able to rise to the challenge of holding these routines as crucial building blocks for your relationship with your child it makes them a whole lot easier to navigate.
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If you’re not enjoying caregiving routines with your child or are curious about what this might look like in your relationship with your child, hop on over to my Calendly (link in profile) to book a free initial consult for 1:1 Support.
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

Now that I’ve told you what selective intervention is and why it’s important, here’s a four step process for how to implement it with your children or the children in your care.
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This process may feel intuitive (maybe you’re already practiced in it) or wildly out of your comfort zone. As always, coming from a place of compassion–for ourselves and our kiddos–is a great place to start because we’re all learning, all the time.
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💁🏻‍♀️Have you had any successes in intentionally intervening in conflicts between your children or moments when your child was struggling with a new or tricky task? I’d love to hear about it!

Then and now 🐾
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Few things make my heart twinkle as much as a sweet pup. So immensely grateful to have happened upon the newest addition to our family 😍
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This pupper has brought so much joy to my life and I haven’t even known him for three months!

Selective intervention is a cornerstone to Magda Gerber’s Educaring approach. It supports kiddos (and their caregivers) in SO many ways.
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Swipe through to learn more about some of the main benefits of selective intervention!

I was listening to a Good Inside podcast about Mom Rage where interviewed psychotherapist .
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It was an excellent episode and this quote really stood out to me. It’s so logical put this way but much trickier to remember in those moments where we’re not showing up the way we’d like to be able to.
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At its core, perfectionism is about the nagging sense that we’re deficient. That we need to prove ourselves in order to be worthy, loved, and accepted.
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Becoming aware of these thoughts and beliefs is BIG, game-changing work. Especially if you’re a parent.
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💁🏻‍♀️If you struggle with this, what’s ONE way in which you can bring a bit more awareness into your own perfectionism habit this week?
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💁🏻‍♀️How might this impact your ability to show up for your kiddo(s)?
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[Image description: “Children don't need a perfect parent to prepare them for a very imperfect world." -Anna Mathur]

Happy Mother’s Day to this lovely lady. She makes me laugh, she makes me think, and she’s great at sitting with my big feelings. We’re always sharing recipes, book recs, quotes, and cool resources. She’s got a spirit for adventure and for pushing herself in new ways. I love her so much!

Selective intervention involves observation and intention. It’s also referring to the way we scaffold children by offering just the right amount of support for a child to feel like you’ve got their back while simultaneously holding space for them to be able to push themselves to try something tricky or new.
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Selective intervention also takes into account all of the variables that can impact a child’s ability to execute a task in any given moment (e.g. physiological needs, emotional needs).
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Stay tuned for the benefits of selective intervention and a four step process to support kiddos as they wrangle with a challenge!

New Blog Post!
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We all know how difficult it can be to access loving feelings in challenging moments.
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When kiddos:
😡get mad at us
🤪blatantly defy us
😑are whiny or demanding
😫are relentlessly teasing their sibling
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…try this ubersimple hack for calling up feelings of unconditional positive regard for your child. It will serve you in being the kind of parent you want to be–patient, empathic, generous, curious, benevolent, understanding, and optimistic.
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I’m curious to hear what you think!
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿
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[Image description: A child is sleeping peacefully on a bed on their side with their hands tucked up near their face. A blanket is pulled up halfway over their body. Text reads “New Blog Post: Tapping Into Unconditional Positive Regard for $0.29”]

I’ve compiled the most common questions I receive about my classes from prospective families in one place (my website). You can get there via the link in my profile.
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If there’s anything you’ve been wondering about a parent-child class that isn’t included there please let me know!
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I’m the kind of person who really appreciates knowing what to expect and imagine you might be too. I strive to ensure that the families that gather in my classes feel safe, comfortable, informed, and held in this phase of their parenting journey.
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As always, I’m here for your questions and wonderings!
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

Found on the Reed College campus during a spring thunderstorm. I risked extracting my phone during a downpour from my soggy f***y pack in order to capture this brilliant four word synopsis of Magda Gerber’s Educaring approach. It was just *too* perfect. Like brilliantly perfect. Like so perfect I’d like a duplicate to hang on the wall during parent-child classes. And maybe even in my house?? And perhaps a bumper sticker for my car??
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💁🏻‍♀️What’s one transition/routine/touchpoint during your day that you’d like to slow down for this week? (it doesn’t have to be related to parenting!)
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Let me know how it goes!
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Take good care,
Laurel 🌿

Similar to the way a confession or a request for forgiveness can be more for our own benefit/ to assuage our own feelings of guilt, I appreciate the way the authors of Parenting from the Inside Out speak to how easy it is to get in our heads because of mistakes we’ve made or imperfect responses and that being in our heads actually *further* removes us from the present moment with our kids.
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One parent discussed this exact concern in a book I’m always recommending: Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Leah said,
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“I could spend my whole life worrying about all the things I do wrong as a parent… If I concentrate on those things I can really put myself in a tailspin. I can’t do that and raise my children with joy. I had to find a way to deal with guilt. So I started a therapy fund for my kids. When I make a mistake with my kids, I put a dollar in their therapy fund so they can recover at a later time. It’s kind of a joke, but it helps me say to myself, ‘I can make mistakes and it’s not a bad thing.’”
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I LOVE this idea. Of course there is still the repair process but this is such a clever, actionable idea.
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What do you think about the therapy fund idea??
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[Image description: “The challenge we all share is to embrace our humanity with humor and patience so that we can in turn relate to our children with openness and kindness. To continually chastise ourselves for our ‘errors’ keeps us involved in our own emotional issues and out of relationship with our children.” -Daniel Siegel & Mary Hartzell]