Amy Mansfield, LMSW, Licensed Clinical Therapist

05/22/2026

💛🧡♥️

From .is.mental.illness

05/20/2026

05/14/2026

THIS. 🙌 Emotional regulation and executive function are connected in more ways than one. Development of social emotional skills includes an awareness of self and self-monitoring skills, among other areas. The regulation of those emotions is critical for executive functioning cognitive tasks. When we regulate behavior, the frontal lobe is at work with it’s impulse control, initiation, self-monitoring, and other cognitive skills.

AND, emotional skill development includes the ability to self-regulate. These skills mature and develop throughout childhood and into adulthood.

https://www.theottoolbox.com/emotional-regulation-and-executive-function/

05/11/2026

ADHD TAX

05/08/2026

The Defiance Iceberg

Beneath the behaviour lies the vulnerable child – coping with emotions and needs that aren’t easy to express.

When we only respond to the tip of the iceberg, we miss the whole story.
Look beneath defiance… and you’ll see a child asking for help.

In our Misunderstood Defiance: the Vulnerable Child Toolkit for Parents & Educators is a range of checklists and information sheets for you to explore what is going on for the defiant child.

Electronic download available at link in comments.

05/06/2026

This is sound advice!!! I am like a mother hen or a mama bear with my things. When something no longer works, it's heart-wrenching to let it go.

05/05/2026

Worry at different ages…great info!

https://macnamara.ca/portfolio/what-kids-worry-and-fear-at-different-ages/

05/01/2026

Sometimes what looks like “coping” on the outside is costing a child everything on the inside.

Many children learn to mask — to hide their needs, push through discomfort, and appear “fine” in environments that don’t quite fit them. And while it can make things look easier on the surface, it often comes at a quiet emotional cost.

Masking can be exhausting. It can build pressure across the day, leading to shutdowns, meltdowns, anxiety, or that familiar after-school collapse.

This isn’t about a child being difficult or dramatic. It’s about a nervous system working incredibly hard to adapt.

When we understand masking, we can begin to respond differently — with more curiosity, more compassion, and more support for what’s underneath.

If this resonates, you’re not alone — and your child doesn’t need to keep carrying it all silently.

For practical ways to support your child, reduce masking pressure, and build emotional safety, explore the Masking Toolkit — link in comments below ⬇️ or via Linktree Shop in Bio.