Author: Carla
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Why “Nothing Works” Keeps Families Stuck: What Parents Might Be Missing (and How to Fix It)
If you’ve ever found yourself saying “I’ve tried everything” or “nothing works for my child,” I want you to know you are absolutely not alone. Almost everyone who walks through my private practice doors says the same thing… They’ve been putting out fires for years. They’ve tried all the parenting advice. They’ve been to doctors Read more
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Why Your Child Has Big Meltdowns Over Small Things – And How to Respond Without Making It Worse
When your child has big emotional meltdowns over seemingly small things, it can feel confusing, frustrating, and exhausting. From a behaviour-therapy and child development perspective, these meltdowns aren’t random – and they’re not simply about the little thing in front of you. They’re a sign that your child’s regulation system is overloaded, and that how Read more
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Why Letting Them “Work It Out” Backfires in Sibling Conflict (And What to Do Instead)
If you have more than one child, you’ve likely lived this moment more times than you can count: You’re in the kitchen.You hear arguing.Then yelling.Then crying.Then the unmistakable sound of the kids running up to tell you all the things the other one did wrong. Before they can reach you, you call out from the Read more
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Your Child Isn’t Broken – They’re Just Watching you: How Social Learning Theory Explains the Defiance You Can’t Seem to Quit – And How to Reverse the Cycle
Picture this. You ask your child to clean up.They ignore you.You repeat yourself – calmer at first, then firmer.They whine.You raise your voice.They scream.Someone slams a door.Eventually, either they comply or you give up because you’re exhausted and just want the noise to stop. Sound familiar? Here’s the hard truth most parents never get told: Read more
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Why Trying Harder Isn’t Changing Your Child’s Behaviour: And what consistency actually looks like in real families
If you’re exhausted from “trying harder” and still not seeing change, this post is for you. Most parents I work with aren’t disengaged, permissive, or careless. They’re deeply invested. They’re reading the books, watching the videos, following the advice, and pouring enormous amounts of emotional energy into their parenting. And yet, behaviour patterns don’t shift. Read more
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Beyond “Calm Down”: Effective Strategies for Helping Kids Manage Big Feelings
“Calm Down” If you’ve ever said it, you’re not a bad parent.If it’s never worked, you’re not imagining things. Telling a child to calm down during a moment of emotional escalation is one of the most common responses parents use… And one of the least effective. Not because parents are doing something wrong, but because Read more
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Why Won’t My Kids Just Listen? 3 Common Reasons – and What to Do
Why Won’t My Kids Just Listen? 3 Common Reasons – And What to do You ask your child to put on their shoes. Nothing happens.You ask again. Still nothing.Eventually, you’re yelling – and then you feel awful. If you’re stuck in a cycle of repeating yourself, feeling ignored, and running out of patience, you’re not Read more
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Welcome to the Chaos to Calm Blog
Welcome to Chaos to Calm A new kind of parenting support for kids with big feelings and behaviours If you’re parenting a child with big feelings and behaviours, you already know this: the typical parenting advice just isn’t cutting it. You’ve tried being patient. You’ve tried being firm. You’ve tried talking about feelings until you’re Read more