Early Connections Program

05/28/2026

Transitions are hard! A bit of warning and an opportunity to "close the loop" can make a huge difference.

05/27/2026

"Our job isn’t to manage their feelings. It’s to be someone safe enough so they don’t have to manage them alone." 💕

There’s a difference between feeling responsible for our kids and being responsible to them - and it changes everything about how we show up.

When our child is upset, every instinct says fix it. Make it stop. Find the solution. But trying to take their hard feelings away often makes things harder - for them, and for us.

Their feelings belong to them.

We don’t cause all of them, and we can’t cure all of them.

But how we show up in the middle of them - that’s ours. Not to fix, not to redirect, not to make the discomfort smaller so we feel better.

Just to be there. Steady. Close. Safe.

Our job isn’t to manage their feelings. It’s to be someone safe enough so they don’t have to manage them alone.

That’s not doing less. That’s doing the thing that matters.♥️

05/21/2026

Our perspective matters when we look at our kiddos...when we can see them as little humans who have not yet developed the skills needed to manage challenging situations and who are behaving in the only way they are able to, we can step in to support them with compassion and teaching rather than blaming and punishing. 💕

If you would like to talk more about what this can look like, reach out to chat with us about the Early Connections program! 250-554-3134 😊

"Seeing a child as ‘capable of controlling his behaviour if only he chooses to do so’ only adds to our agitation, and as a result, the child’s distress." ☀️ - Stuart Shanker & Co. [🔗 self-reg.ca]

04/21/2026

💥Power doesn't have to mean a threat 💞

For generations, adult–child relationships were built on power ✨over✨.

Even as we’ve given kids more voice and rights, the old self-control mindset still linger, telling us we need to stay in charge at all costs.

This graphic by educator Kristin Wiens offers a wiser reframe: ✨ Power doesn’t have to be a threat.✨ It can be something we give, through understanding, safety, and stress awareness!

04/13/2026

Our next session of Circle of Security Parenting is coming up! Text or call to sign up :)

04/02/2026

"We often talk about attachment as if it’s something complex to figure out.
But it is built in the small, ordinary moments of everyday life.
When we pause…
when we notice…
when we reflect…
when we invite connection…
we are saying something that matters deeply: You matter to me."

Check out this great tip sheet from Deborah MacNamara on ways to collect your children 💞

Collecting is one of the simplest ways we build relationship with our kids. It’s not complicated.

To collect a child is to move toward them in a warm, friendly way— to gather their eyes, their ears, their attention or whatever works for them sensory wise — and to let them feel your interest in being with them.

We often talk about attachment as if it’s something complex to figure out.
But it is built in the small, ordinary moments of everyday life.
When we pause…
when we notice…
when we reflect…
when we invite connection…
we are saying something that matters deeply: You matter to me.

Collecting is how we warm up the relationship again and again— through the flow of the day. And when relationship is there, so much else becomes possible.

If you want a copy of the infographic see the link in the comments below.

03/27/2026

‘The way you see people is the way you treat them, and the way you treat them is what they become.’ - Goethe
Reframing is so important when we are parenting...our kids are very new to this world and development takes time!

03/25/2026

"When children feel collected, their attachment instincts come alive. They feel seen and known, and they are much more likely to follow our lead." Check out these important moments to collect children before we direct or lead them.

One of the most powerful things we can do as parents, teachers, or care providers is collect our children.

Collecting is the act of gathering them to us in relationship. It might be getting down to their level, using a warm voice, making eye contact, sharing a smile, or inviting them close. In those small moments we remind them:
You belong with me.
You matter to me.
I am here for you.

When children feel collected, their attachment instincts come alive. They feel seen and known, and they are much more likely to follow our lead.

Sometimes we collect simply to nurture the relationship. Other times we collect before transitions, before asking something of them, before difficult conversations, or after things have gone sideways between us.

It isn’t about techniques or strategies. It’s about relationship leading the way.
These are 10 everyday moments when collecting our kids can make all the difference.
Because when children feel gathered to us, they remember where they belong.
And from there, we can guide them forward.

01/22/2026

Kindergarten registration is coming up fast!

Save the date! Jan 28th - Catchment Schools Kindergarten information night. https://www.sd73.bc.ca/en/our-district-board/register-for-school.aspx

01/05/2026

Something to remember as we begin a new year!

It is so curious that we often hold our children to higher expectations than we hold ourselves.

We can all feel upset, sad, and get yelly-and-shouty when our patience dries up.

When we come to understand that our children are at the mercy of not only their humanity, but also the process of child development, then we can better understand and show compassion for their overflowing emotions. 💗