Wednesday, September 9 • 5pm PT / 8pm ET Sign up here: https://brainscienceofchildrensemotions.com/ This one surprises most parents. Traditional discipline actually makes emotional regulation harder for your child. Not easier. Here's what the research shows. When you use punishment-based discipline during or after a meltdown, you're adding stress to a brain that's already in a threat state. That stress gets stored in the body, and the next time your child encounters a similar trigger, the meltdown comes faster and harder. It's a feedback loop. The brain learns "this situation is dangerous" and reacts even more intensely next time. This is why so many parents tell me "the meltdowns are getting worse, not better." They're not getting worse because your child is broken. They're getting worse because the strategies being used are training the brain to be more reactive, not less. In the workshop, I'll show you what to do instead. Something that actually retrains the brain to self-regulate over time. Wednesday, September 9 • 5pm PT / 8pm ET Sign up here: https://brainscienceofchildrensemotions.com/

Led by Karen Wolfe, LMFT, Founder of SF Bay Play Therapy Family Counseling Center, Certified Hand in Hand Parenting Instructor *REGISTER HERE for a Little People, Big Feelings class!* For many families, this time of year brings mixed emotions. There might be excitement about a new teacher, a new classroom, or getting back into a routine. But there can also be anxiety, resistance, tears, bedtime struggles, morning battles, and big emotions that seem to come out of nowhere. *Imagine this... It's the second day of school.* Your child refuses to put on their shoes because they're worried about leaving you. You reassure them, but they begin crying. You're already running late. The lunch still isn't packed. Your younger child needs something. Suddenly your own frustration bubbles over and you hear yourself say something you wish you hadn't. Later that day, you wonder, *"Why did I react like that?"* If you've ever had a moment where your response felt bigger than the situation itself, you're not alone. The transition back to school often stirs up emotions, not just for children, *but for parents too*. When our children struggle, it can activate our own stress, exhaustion, fears, or even memories from our own childhood. Those are the moments when we need support the most. *That's exactly why I created the Little People, Big Feelings Parent Club.* Every other Monday, parents come together in a warm, supportive online space to learn practical Hand in Hand Parenting tools, receive real-time coaching, and connect with other parents who truly understand. A place to bring your real-life parenting challenges, ask questions, and leave feeling more confident and less alone. Every parent has moments when their reaction feels bigger than the.situation. Maybe it's the whining that won't stop. The sibling fights that seem endless. The bedtime resistance after a long day. The public meltdown in the grocery store. Or simply being ignored for what feels like the tenth time.

Join me today for an hour of deep support on helping your child cooperate! ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT! Topic: Building Cooperation ​When your child won’t listen, cooperate, get dressed, leave the house, stop grabbing, or stop saying “no,” it can feel exhausting and personal. In this session, we’ll look at what may be happening underneath off-track behavior and how connection, play, laughter, and warm attention can help children find their way back to cooperation. You’ll have space to be heard around the feelings that get stirred up when your child resists you — frustration, powerlessness, rejection, or the fear that nothing you do is working. REGISTER HERE: https://luma.com/a8jphs34

One of my favorite play therapy tricks doesn’t require fancy equipment or expensive toys. It just requires… a spinner. I keep one in my playroom all the time because it instantly turns almost anything into a game. Here’s how it works: Create four different colored spaces on the spinner, and assign each color a different activity. Before a child arrives (or before using it with your own child), I “stack the deck” with activities that fit what we’re working on. For example: 🟢 Answer a feeling question (I love using conversation cards like Ungame cards.) 🔵 Pick a Kimochi feeling and share a time you felt that way. 🟡 30-Second Dance Party! 🔴 Complete a silly physical challenge like 10 push-ups, balloon keepy-uppy, or let the child invent the next challenge. The beauty is that every spinner can be completely different. You can change it for each child, each session, or even each round of the game. When talking about feelings is mixed with movement, play, laughter, and choice, it often feels much less intimidating. Children become more engaged, more relaxed, and more willing to open up. Whether you’re a play therapist looking for fresh ideas or a parent wanting to make emotional conversations feel a little lighter, give it a try. Sometimes all it takes is a simple spinner to transform connection into play. I’d love to hear—what would you put on your four spaces?