Center for Early Childhood Connections

The act of raising young children can be stressful even for the most resourced of parents. There are many experiences that can overwhelm the capacity of a young child to cope, and many young children lack the language to communicate with their caregivers what they are thinking and feeling. Fortunately, though children have a very clever way to show us what is happening in their internal worlds. They act out their worries, fears, hopes, and thoughts in the context of their play. Joining young children in their play can open a unique window into their inner most thoughts that have yet learned to share. I enjoy working with parents and caregivers to better understand their child. It can be hard as a parent to juggle all the various competing needs for your time and energy. My role is to walk with families through the hard times so that they can then move on in their lives to have more joy together. I typically work together with the parent and child in the room and act almost as a translator to support mutual understanding. Through this mutual understanding increased positive interaction occur and parents begin to feel more effective as their child learns to listen better and develop calming strategies. I work to honor diverse family structures and aim to support caregivers dealing with infertility, pregnancy loss or those becoming parents through non-dominate pathways. I fully endorse and embrace the Diversity Informed Tenants for work with infants, children, and families. It is my goal to bring these values into the support I provides for families.