There’s more to behavior than what we see.
Some moments ask more than they look like they do. Learn what your kid's brain and body might be working through, so you can figure out what helps.
If you've Googled any of these at midnight, hi.
"Why does my kid need to move all the time?"
For some kids, movement is how their brain and body stay regulated enough to pay attention. If that's what's happening, the "distraction" starts to look a lot different.
"Why does my kid lose it over tiny things?"
The thing that set them off may not be the whole story. By the time something small becomes too much, their brain and body have often been managing a lot already. A reaction that looks out of proportion can make more sense once you see what came before it.
"Why does my kid need everything to go exactly as planned?"
For some kids, knowing what's coming is part of how they stay steady. When the plan changes, they lose something they were leaning on, and from the outside that can look a lot like stubbornness.
Three ways in.
25 articles · from $12
The Brain and Body Library
Articles to come back to when a moment with your kid doesn't make sense. Each one opens on something you'd see at home, then looks at what might be going on in their brain and body and what to try.
Browse the library →Live online · Wed, Nov 18 · $29
Your kid knows what to do. So why isn't it happening?
A 75-minute workshop with Barbara on the gap between knowing and doing: why a kid can manage something one day and not the next, and how to start working out what's in the way.
Save a spot →Free
Start with one moment
Short guides on the after-school hour, the morning rush out the door, and what tends to be in reach (and what still takes a lot of effort) at each age from 2 to 8.
Get a free guide →Grounded in real science.
Designed for real life.
Start with mornings. Start with transitions. Start with school. The framework is underneath all of it. You'll pick it up as you go.
Not sure where to start?
Take the Quiz →
Parents who found their framework
"I genuinely think about this material all the time. When [my kiddo] loses it unless he can hold a stick on our walk to hit every fence we pass, my first reaction is 'wtf stop.' My second reaction is 'Barbara would say he's a sensory seeker.' That second reaction has changed a lot."
Kim, Parent of a 4-year-old
"The five-domain framework gave me language to talk to my kid's teacher and changed the dynamics with school. We're more 'in it together' now. "
Raj, Parent of a 8-year-old
"We knew parenting would have its challenges. We did NOT know we'd be living in reactive mode so much... the understanding and tools gained have moved us from reactive to proactive and responsive."
Polly, Parent of twins, age 5
