Little Star Preschool

05/29/2026

IYKYK

'We can probably reduce those supports now?'

'No.'

Em 🌈

05/29/2026

Our website was down temporarily but it should be back up now!

Located in NW Corvallis Oregon

05/25/2026

It's true.

05/20/2026

Stevie’s pregnancy looked stable from the outside. A career. A partner. A home.

But anxiety hit hard, and there was no one to turn to. No local mental health resources. No support groups. No village. At just five weeks pregnant, she called a hotline in the middle of the night, crying to a stranger.

She made it through. And today, her son Keanu is a joyful, thriving toddler. He fills her home with laughter.

Still, Stevie knows how easily things could have gone differently.

Too many families are left to face those early days alone. Believing in babies means standing with the people who love them the most.

Believe In Babies. Support families: https://bit.ly/4vF6RC5

05/20/2026

So excited to get this order from Kodo Kids! Wool play food and an empathy doll.

05/15/2026

We are currently enrolling for summer and fall! Ages 2.5-5

SUMMER HOURS: Monday through Thursday 8:00am-4:30pm with aftercare available until 5pm.

We do take ERDC, serve organic snacks and meals whenever possible, and reduce exposure to microplastics to the best of our ability.

If you are interested in a tour and interview, please contact 458-307-7500. Text is fine!

You can also fill out the form on our website. https://little-star-home-preschool.webnode.page/

05/15/2026

Orson’s story is filled with laughter, bedtime books and peek-a-boo smiles.
But it also includes colic, postpartum anxiety and moments his mom didn’t think she’d make it through.

What made the difference? Community. Mental health support. And parental leave that gave Katie time to heal and bond with her baby.

Not every parent gets that. But every family should.

Because how we care for parents shapes who their children become. Babies’ futures start with us.

Believe In Babies: https://bit.ly/4txHq4n

05/15/2026

We often tell children to “use your words” in hard moments.

The problem?

When a child is overwhelmed, frustrated, or dysregulated, the parts of the brain responsible for language and problem-solving become much harder to access.

In other words:
It’s not that they won’t explain what’s wrong.
Often, in that moment, they genuinely can’t.
Stress shifts the brain into protection mode. And when survival systems take over, communication skills often go offline.

This is why expecting calm explanations during a meltdown usually leads to more frustration—for them and for us.

What helps instead?
✔ Regulate first
✔ Reduce language
✔ Offer calm presence
✔ Talk it through later, when their brain is ready
Children don’t learn emotional communication in the middle of overwhelm.

They learn it through repeated experiences of feeling safe enough to return to calm.

What looks like “refusing to communicate” is often a nervous system asking for support, not more pressure.

04/26/2026

Here is our current process art canvas. We have been painting with different materials and neon paint. The children have enjoyed painting toy cars and dinosaurs to make impressions on the canvas. One child made "flowers" in blank spaces. Im excited to see this develop over time.

04/25/2026

Regulation doesn’t always look calm.

Sometimes it looks like movement.
Sometimes it sounds like noise.
Sometimes it shows up as doing the same thing over and over.

Because regulation isn’t about being still—it’s about the nervous system finding a way back to safety.

When we expect calm, quiet, and still…
we can miss the very strategies helping a child cope.

Look past the behaviour.
Notice what it’s doing for them.
—
If you want more on how regulation actually works (not just what it looks like), it’s in my book. Guidance from The Therapist Parent Available on my website www.thetherapistparent.com and Amazon