Blossom Child Psychology

17/06/2026

🌱 Why Delaying Gratification Matters

The famous "Marshmallow Test" found that children who could wait for a larger reward often experienced better outcomes later in life. But the benefits go beyond self-control.

Research shows that when we look forward to something positive, our brain's reward system becomes active *before* we receive the reward. In other words, part of the happiness comes from the anticipation itself.

Children who learn that good things are worth waiting for often develop:

✨ Better emotional regulation
✨ Greater persistence
✨ Stronger planning skills
✨ Lower anxiety and stress
✨ More optimism about the future
✨ Less impulsive decision-making

Interestingly, studies also show that children wait longer when they trust that promises will be kept. Patience grows not just from self-control, but from believing that waiting is worthwhile.

Simple ways to build this skill:
🎁 Plan enjoyable activities in advance
📅 Use countdowns for special events
📚 Read books chapter by chapter
🍪 Bake treats and enjoy them later
🏆 Work towards meaningful goals over time

In a world of instant gratification, teaching children to enjoy anticipation may be one of the greatest gifts we can give them.

💚 What is your child currently looking forward to?

28/05/2026

One thing I’ve been working on a lot recently with clients is what I call “worry loops” — where a child’s brain gets "stuck" asking the same question, seeking reassurance repeatedly, or feeling unable to “let go” of something.

This is incredibly common in neurodivergent children, particularly those with anxiety, ADHD, autism, OCD traits, and sensory issues.

Often, the brain is trying to achieve *closure*. The problem is that reassurance alone usually doesn’t usually settle the nervous system, so the brain keeps circling back to the same thought.

A common trap parents fall into is trying to “fix” the feeling by offering advice, reassurance, or solutions. Unfortunately, when a child is emotionally overwhelmed, their brain is not in a state where it can absorb this.

Instead, it can help to shift the goal from “making the feeling go away” to helping the child move through the feeling safely and calmly.

Helpful responses can sound like:
• “That sounds really uncomfortable.”
• “I can see your brain is getting stuck on this right now.”
• “You don’t have to solve everything immediately.”
• “I believe you can get through this feeling.”
• “I’m here with you, even if we can’t fix it straight away.”

Sometimes children don’t need endless reassurance — they need help teaching their brain that the thought has already been processed ❤️

18/01/2026

🎧 COMMENT '328' to download the full version of this free PDF tip sheet ✨
Challenging behaviour can be one of the most difficult and exhausting things to understand and manage in a busy classroom. Hopefully this sheet helps!
❣️ p.s. My PDA course with Laura Kerbey is ✨ $70 OFF ✨(exp. 19/01/26).

- Sue 💖

15/11/2025

If you ever find yourself at your wits’ end and struggling to cope with your child’s behaviour at home, here is my advice. Cry. Let your child see you cry. Let them witness the effect their behaviour has on you. Why do we, as a culture, hide our emotions from our children?

Disclaimer: This approach is not about shaming or blaming your child. It is about guiding them to understand the consequences of their actions in a safe and supportive environment.

Inuit parents have long understood the power of showing children the emotional impact of their actions, though always in a calm and controlled way. Seeing the consequences of their behaviour firsthand helps children develop empathy, moral reasoning, and social awareness.

Emotions like guilt and carefully guided shame can also support moral development. Guilt encourages reflection and motivates repair, while Aristotle believed that experiencing shame appropriately in childhood cultivates virtue and helps children understand right from wrong.

It is crucial to focus on the behaviour, not the child. Saying “you are bad” risks anxiety or people-pleasing tendencies. Instead, try “When you did this, it hurt me. How can we fix it?” This teaches accountability while protecting your child’s sense of self.

Neurodiverse children often respond especially well to this method. Calm modelling of cause and effect combined with emotional honesty helps them develop empathy, self-awareness, and social insight without the overwhelm that traditional parenting can create.

Parenting is not about perfection. It is about connection, guidance, and helping children grow into compassionate, socially aware humans.

At the top of the world, the Inuit culture has developed a sophisticated way to sculpt kids' behavior without yelling or scolding. Could discipline actually be playful?

12/10/2025

💛 Waitlist Update

Thank you so much for your ongoing support. My current waitlist has reached capacity and I’m not able to take on new clients at this time.
I’ll post an update here when the waitlist reopens.
If you need support sooner, you can ask your GP for alternative referrals or visit the APS “Find a Psychologist” directory: https://psychology.org.au/find-a-psychologist
Warmly,
Sarah

31/08/2025

🌱 Growth Happens Outside the Comfort Zone 🌱

Lately, I’ve seen a lot of kids struggling with transitions, change, and stepping out of their comfort zones. It can feel uncomfortable, even scary, but these are exactly the moments where the most growth happens.

✨ Give them gentle guidance
✨ Encourage small steps forward
✨ Model calm tolerance of distress
✨ Make mistakes; they’re part of learning
✨ Move forward anyway

Every challenge is an opportunity to build resilience, confidence, and courage, for them… and for us. 💙

27/02/2025

I’m often asked about the difference between a psychiatrist, psychologist, and clinical psychologist. For a clearer understanding, check out the table below that explains each role and what they specialize in.

20/02/2025

Research suggests that early life stress can impact how a child's brain handles social connections, making them less motivated to interact with others. This can lead to long-term challenges in forming relationships. For parents, it's important to understand how childhood stress can affect social development, and early support can help children build healthier social skills and cope with trauma.

Early Life Stress Rewires Brain Circuits Linked to Social Motivation

Early life stress alters brain circuits responsible for social motivation, leading to long-term behavioral changes.

Researchers found that mice exposed to stress during early development showed reduced dopamine signaling between the ventral tegmental area and the basolateral amygdala.

This disruption made the mice less likely to seek social interaction, preferring isolation or inanimate objects instead.

Using neural activation techniques, scientists were able to restore social behaviors in stressed mice by stimulating dopamine neurons.

Conversely, turning off these neurons in socially engaged mice induced avoidance behaviors, demonstrating the direct role of this pathway.

These findings highlight how early experiences shape brain function and could inform treatments for social difficulties linked to childhood trauma.

https://neurosciencenews.com/early-stress-social-motivation-28428/

04/12/2024

22/10/2024

🌸 Exciting News from Blossom Child Psychology! 🌸

I am thrilled to share that I have sponsored beautiful Mparakuon, from Kenya, through World Vision’s 1000 Girls Initiative! 💖 This amazing program empowers girls by providing access to education, healthcare, clean water, nutrition, and protection from early marriage, exploitation, and abuse. It’s all about ensuring that young girls, like Mparakuon, have the chance to grow up safe, healthy, and with the opportunities they deserve.

Every child deserves a future full of possibilities, and this initiative is making that a reality for girls in vulnerable communities worldwide.

🌍 If you’re able to, please consider sponsoring a child. Together, we can help create a world where every child has the opportunity to blossom. ✨