Pier Parent Coaching

Pier Parent Coaching 🧡 Raising Confident, Capable Kids
🍁 Build Skills to prevent Outbursts, Defiance, ADHD, Anxiety
👇 Join the first-ever Parenting Bootcamp this summer..
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https://www.pierparentmembership.com/bootcamp ☀️Child Psychology Expert | Parent Coach
🎯For Parents of 2-12-Year-Old
🌈Build Happy, Confident Kids Together!
🏆Over 20 Years of Clinical Background

07/24/2026

Routines slip. Vacation happens. A rough week happens. Here’s the truth no one tells you. 💛
You’re not failing because the routine fell apart. Summer is inconsistent by nature,that’s not a parenting problem, that’s just summer.
Kids with ADHD/anxiety don’t need a perfect routine, they need to trust that the next predictable moment is coming. A reset isn’t about “catching up” or guilt. It’s just picking the very next anchor point and starting there.
Tonight, pick ONE anchor (bedtime is a great one) and restart there- no lecture, no apology needed. Share this with a mom who needs the reminder that she hasn’t messed anything up.

07/20/2026

You gave your children the break they “deserved,” less structure, more downtime. So why does it feel harder, not easier?
For kids with ADHD, ADD, or anxiety, predictability isn’t restrictive, it’s regulating. Their nervous systems rely on knowing what’s next. When every day is different, their brain spends extra energy just figuring out “what now?” energy that used to go toward emotional regulation.
You don’t need a school-year schedule back. You need 1-2 predictable anchors a day.
Here are some examples of anchors:
⚓Wake up around the same time each morning.
⚓Eat lunch at a consistent time.
⚓Have a daily afternoon snack in the same spot.
⚓Read one book together before bed.
⚓Take a 10-minute outside break after school or camp.
⚓Play calming music during dinner prep.
⚓Do bath time in the same order each night.
⚓Share one “high” and one “low” from the day at dinner.
⚓Spend 10 minutes of one-on-one connection before bedtime.
⚓End the day with the same goodnight routine (hug, song, or phrase).

07/15/2026

You’re already stretched thin managing one child’s big emotions; so here are 3 tiny things that go a long way for the sibling in the background:

1️⃣ Say their name out loud when things are hard. “This has been a big week for everyone including you.”

2️⃣ Give them 5 minutes that are just theirs. No siblings, no multitasking, just you and them, doing whatever they choose.

3️⃣ Notice them for who they are, not just how “easy” they are. “I love how you laugh at your own jokes” hits different from “thanks for being so good.”

Save this for a slower afternoon.

07/13/2026

Summer means more hours together as a family, which sounds sweet, but it also means one thing becomes harder to ignore: the sibling who never causes a scene.
While one child’s big feelings take up the room, the other quietly learns: don’t add to the noise. They stop asking for things. They get “good” at waiting.

This isn’t a call to feel guilty. It’s a call to notice. That quiet kid isn’t asking for less, they’re just asking less loudly.

07/06/2026

Your child seems totally fine at camp. Then the second they get in the car... meltdown. 😮‍💨
If this sounds familiar, your child might be masking.
Masking is when a child suppresses their anxiety, ADHD symptoms, or sensory struggles to appear “fine” in front of others — at camp, swim lessons, playdates, anywhere they’re around other kids and adults — and then falls apart once they’re somewhere safe (aka home, with you).
Here’s what masking can look like in elementary-aged kids this summer 👇
🔸 The “easygoing” camper who unravels at pickup
🔸 Holding it together for hours at an activity, then exploding over something small (wrong snack, tag on shirt feels weird)
🔸 Saying “camp was fine!” but seeming exhausted or irritable after
🔸 Copying other kids’ behavior to blend in, even when it doesn’t fit them
🔸 Stomachaches or resistance that show up mostly on activity mornings
🔸 Being called “so easy, no problems at all” by a counselor or coach, while you see a very different kid at home
It’s not manipulation. It’s not “saving it up for you.” It’s a nervous system that has been working overtime to hold it together — and home is where it’s finally safe enough to let go.
💛 If you’re nodding along right now, you’re not alone, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
Save this post so you can reference the signs later.

06/29/2026

We talk about wanting resilient kids — but not always about what actually builds resilience. And it’s not what most people think.
Resilience isn’t toughness. “Shake it off” builds walls, not resilience.
Real resilience is the capacity to move through difficulty and return to okay. And it grows in one specific environment:
Hard things happening + safe connection being present.
That’s the whole recipe.
How to build it starting today:
✦ Let them be frustrated before you help. Count to ten. Let them try. Pushing through is a deposit in their resilience bank.
✦ Narrate the comeback. “That was really hard, and you did it anyway.” Say it out loud. Often. It teaches them to recognize their own capability.
✦ Stop rescuing the grade, the friendship, the consequence. Every time you fix the outcome, you’re sending the message: you can’t handle this without me.
✦ Let natural consequences land. Forgot homework? The teacher will handle it. Left the water bottle? They’ll remember next time. These aren’t failures — they’re lessons.

✦ Model your own recovery. “I was frustrated earlier, so I took some space. I feel better now.” You are their most powerful teacher.
✦ Celebrate effort and struggle — not just success. “I’m proud of how you handled that” lands differently than “I’m proud you won.”
The goal is a child who, at 25, can lose a job, face a heartbreak, hit a wall — and know in their bones they’ll be okay.
You’re building that child right now. 💛

Bedtime resistance and nighttime fears are among the most exhausting things parents deal with on a nightly basis.If your...
06/17/2026

Bedtime resistance and nighttime fears are among the most exhausting things parents deal with on a nightly basis.

If your child is afraid of the dark, convinced something is under the bed, or simply cannot settle without you nearby, they are not being manipulative. Their nervous system genuinely perceives threat at night.
Here’s why:
→ Kids’ brains aren’t yet wired to self-soothe easily in the dark
→ Imagination and reality blur at this age and monsters can feel real
→ Separation anxiety naturally peaks at certain developmental stages
→ The quiet of bedtime removes distractions and lets worries rise to the surface
What actually helps:
✦ Acknowledge the feeling: “It makes sense that the dark feels scary.”
✦ Give them a sense of control: a nightlight they pick, a “worry spray,” a special stuffed animal
✦ Consistent, predictable routine — their nervous system craves it
✦ Gradual independence (sit in the room, then doorway, then hall)

This is developmental. It’s temporary. And you’re doing better than you think. 💛

06/08/2026

Hi friends! 💛
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be talking about the things many parents experience but don’t often talk about openly. My goal is to help normalize some of the challenges that can feel confusing, frustrating, or isolating and remind you that you’re not alone.
This week’s question:
“What do I do when my child is picking at their body?”
Body picking is more common than many parents realize, and it can leave caregivers wondering what it means, why it’s happening, and how to help. This week, we’ll explore what’s behind this behavior and some practical ways to support your child.
Have a question you’d like me to cover next? Drop it in the comments or send me a message! 💛

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