Tuesday, December 02, 2025

This blog helps parents recognise how overwhelm often stems not from external circumstances but from internal narratives and how changing those stories can reduce anxiety and stress for both parent and child. Learn five simple steps to stop passing on patterns of dysregulation and empower your family with calm, resilience, and emotional responsibility. Perfect for parents of anxious, overwhelmed, or strong-willed kids aged 6–18.

Monday, November 17, 2025

This blog helps parents understand why staying calm during emotional storms can feel impossible and how to respond differently when your child is spiralling, catastrophising, or shutting you out. You'll learn what triggers your nervous system, how to stay grounded in high-stress moments, and powerful ways to repair and reconnect after conflict. Ideal for parents of strong-willed, anxious, or complex kids aged 6–18.

Sunday, November 02, 2025

Discover why school refusal, emotional shutdowns, or peer struggles may stem from your child’s deep fear of rejection or abandonment. Learn how to respond with empathy, avoid common mistakes like “just ignore them,” and guide your child through bullying, anxiety, and friendship challenges with confidence and emotional safety. Includes 7 actionable steps to support your child’s wellbeing and rebuild their trust.

Sunday, October 19, 2025

When your child is anxious—whether over school, friendships, or how they look—logic alone won’t help them feel safe. In this blog, Sue explores how well-meaning phrases like “don’t worry what others think” can unintentionally invalidate your child’s emotions. You'll learn how anxiety disrupts their ability to process reasoning, and how emotional validation creates the trust they need to open up. With real-life examples, validating phrases, and a 3-step practice, this blog offers a compassionate roadmap for building connection before correction.

Sunday, October 05, 2025

Does your child melt down over small issues, retreat to their room, or lash out with hurtful words? These aren’t just “tantrums”, they’re signs of Distress Intolerance (DI), when anxiety shows up as an inability to cope with tough emotions. Left unaddressed, DI can carry into teen and adult years, impacting relationships, careers, and wellbeing. But there’s good news: Distress Tolerance is a skill that can be learned and strengthened. In this blog, Sue explains what distress intolerance really is, why it emerges in childhood, and how it affects kids and families. She then shares a simple 5-step method parents can start using today: accept emotions instead of suppressing them, notice how feelings show up in the body, get curious about what’s being triggered, release pent-up energy through movement, and practise consistently until it becomes second nature. By modelling these steps first, parents can guide their child to build resilience, emotional competence, and a calmer, more connected life.

Wednesday, September 10, 2025

School refusal isn’t laziness, defiance, or a parenting failure, it’s a nervous system stuck in survival mode. In this blog, Sue shares the raw truth behind why so many teens say, “I’ll go tomorrow” and then don’t. You’ll learn how anxiety, rejection, and emotional shutdowns are often behind the resistance, and how your child may be quietly overwhelmed, not oppositional. With powerful insights and compassionate scripts, this post offers: A breakdown of what school refusal really means A real-life example from a parent navigating this with her teen 12+ practical conversation openers you can try today A reminder that your calm presence, not pressure, is the turning point This blog is a lifeline for any parent navigating the emotional rollercoaster of school anxiety. Your child isn’t giving you a hard time, they’re having a hard time. And with the right approach, change is possible.

Sunday, August 17, 2025

Many parents are noticing their Gen Z and Alpha kids spending more time behind closed doors or glued to screens, and less time connecting at home. This isn’t defiance — it’s disconnection, often driven by anxiety, overwhelm, and constant digital stimulation. The blog explains why this withdrawal is not “just a phase” and shares a real-life story of a mother who reconnected with her 13-year-old daughter through small, pressure-free moments. It offers 6 compassionate steps parents can take — from encouraging device-free downtime and holding space without hovering, to building gentle social bridges and tuning into emotional needs with empathy. The key message: Parents don’t need to “fix” their child or take an extreme approach. Instead, by leading with trust, presence, and consistency, they can create safe spaces where children naturally open up and reconnect.

Sunday, April 14, 2024

Are time outs truly effective in teaching children valuable lessons, or do they inadvertently hinder kids’ learning and emotional growth? Many parents and educators rely on time outs as a disciplinary tool, but does this method work for our kids? Join me as we explore time outs' effectiveness and discover alternative approaches that prioritise empathy and understanding.

Sunday, March 24, 2024

In the realm of children's anxiety, the concept of contagion takes on a profound significance. Children often catch anxiety from their environment, absorbing fears and uncertainties from parents, peers, and the world around them.

Sunday, March 03, 2024

Do you want to have more joy in your family? Today, I'm opening up about something very personal, something I've never shared quite like this before. I'm going to share a lesson that not only comes from our weekly parenting classes but also from my own journey.

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Learn the new approach to handle and prevent meltdowns in children. Discover expert tips and insights on calming techniques, understanding triggers, and fostering a supportive parent-child relationship in the midst of challenging moments.

Sunday, February 11, 2024

Parenting can sometimes feel like a never-ending rollercoaster, and if you have a child dealing with anxiety and big emotions, it can be even more challenging. You might often find yourself in situations where it feels like Groundhog Day, repeating the same scenarios, facing avoidance, meltdowns, resistance and those moments that leave you drained and wondering if there's a way out.

Sunday, January 28, 2024

Hi, I'm Sue Stevenson, and I'm here to talk about a topic that's close to the hearts of many parents dealing with kids who have anxiety and big feelings. My mission, through my Calm Parents and Kids Hub, is to help parents like you navigate these challenges.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Empower your child with practical tips on decision-making and a transformative 'I Wonder' technique to start your journey towards a stronger family dynamic now.

Saturday, December 30, 2023

The simple way of creating boundaries that replaces conflict and strict rules with ‘agreed understandings’.