Stacey Cohen - Educational Psychologist

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Stacey Cohen - Educational Psychologist

Stacey Cohen is an educational psychologist situated in Rivonia Sandton. Services offered are therap Contact us for more information on [email protected]

Budding Minds is run by Educational Psychologist, Stacey Cohen at in Rivonia.

21/06/2026

Father’s Day can look different for every family. 💙

Today we celebrate the dads who show up, the dads who are trying their best, the father figures who guide us, the dads-to-be, and those carrying both love and loss.

Wherever Father’s Day finds you, may you feel seen, appreciated, and valued.

Happy Father’s Day to all the incredible dads and father figures. 💙

StaceyCohenPsychologist

15/06/2026

🤍 The Repair Is The Magic 🤍

As parents, we all lose our patience sometimes.

We raise our voices.
We say things we wish we hadn’t.
We react instead of respond.

The goal was never perfection.

The goal was always repair.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is showing them that mistakes are part of being human, including for parents.

When we stop and say:

“I’m sorry.”

“I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.”

“You didn’t deserve that.”

We teach our children something incredibly powerful.

🤍 That mistakes do not end relationships.

🤍 That conflict can be repaired.

🤍 That taking responsibility is a strength, not a weakness.

🤍 That saying sorry does not diminish our authority. It builds trust.

So many parents worry that apologising will make them look weak.

In reality, it models emotional maturity, accountability and self-awareness.

Children do not need perfect parents.

They need parents who are willing to reflect, repair and reconnect.

Because it is not the mistake that shapes a relationship most.

It is what happens afterwards.

The repair is where the healing happens.
The repair is where trust is rebuilt.
The repair is where children learn that relationships can withstand hard moments.

And that is where the real work of parenting lives. 🤍

12/06/2026

🤍 The First Visit To Meet Baby 🤍

Meeting the new baby is a big moment.

For your older child, it can bring excitement, curiosity, pride and a little uncertainty too.

This moment is not just about introducing the baby.

It is about helping your older child feel included in welcoming them.

Encourage your child to bring a small gift for the baby.

It gives them a special role and helps them feel proud, thoughtful and part of the excitement.

You can also have a little gift waiting from the baby to their big brother or sister.

This can help create a positive first association and gently communicate:

🤍 You are still loved.

🤍 You are still important.

🤍 This baby is not replacing you.

Small things can make a big difference.

✨ Greet your older child first.

✨ Let them take the lead.

✨ Keep the moment gentle and unpressured.

✨ Make space for their feelings, whatever they are.

✨ If possible, ask a nurse, partner or family member to capture the moment on video. This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone and one that both you and your children may treasure for years to come.

The first meeting can help set the tone for a positive relationship and a loving sibling bond.

Because becoming a big brother or sister is not just about sharing Mom and Dad.

It is also about finding a new kind of love. 🤍

10/06/2026

New Sibling Series 👶👧👦

🤍 Words Matter More Than We Think 🤍

When a new baby arrives, most parents are doing their absolute best to juggle everyone’s needs. In the busyness of newborn life, it can be easy to say things like:

“The baby needs me right now.”

“Be quiet, the baby is sleeping.”

“I don’t have time at the moment.”

While these comments are usually said without a second thought, young children often hear something very different:

💭 “The baby is more important than me.”

💭 “The baby is the reason Mom can’t help me.”

💭 “My needs don’t matter.”

One of the most powerful things we can do is avoid positioning the baby as the reason for every limit.

‼️Instead of blaming the baby, we can acknowledge our child’s feelings, help them feel seen and heard, and reassure them that their needs still matter too.

✨ Reflect their feelings:
“I can see you’re feeling disappointed.”

✨ Reassure them:
“I really want to help you with that.”

✨ Give them something to hold onto:
“As soon as I’m done, I’ll be with you.”

✨ Follow through whenever possible.

Just as importantly, try to carve out small moments of special time with your older child. It doesn’t need to be hours. Ten minutes of uninterrupted connection can go a long way in helping a child feel secure, valued and loved during a season of big change.

Remember, our goal isn’t to prevent big feelings. It’s to help children feel safe bringing those feelings to us. It’s also about fostering a positive attitude and connection to their siblings whilst promoting them feeling seen and heard during the adjustment.

When children feel seen, heard and connected, they are more likely to develop positive feelings towards their new sibling and build the foundations of a warm, loving relationship for years to come. ❤️

08/06/2026

🤍 The Boobie Box: A Simple Way to Help Siblings Adjust to a New Baby 🤍

When a new baby arrives, older siblings often experience a mix of excitement, curiosity, pride, and sometimes even feelings of being left out.

One simple strategy I love is creating a Boobie Box.

A Boobie Box is a special box filled with engaging toys and activities that only comes out while Mom is feeding the baby. Rather than viewing feeding times as moments when Mom is unavailable, your older child begins to associate them with something positive, exciting and special.

✨ It helps your child feel included during a time of big change.

✨ It sends the message: “You still matter. You are still important.”

✨ It gives siblings positive attention and something to look forward to during feeds.

✨ It can reduce feelings of jealousy or frustration towards the baby.

✨ It encourages positive associations with the baby’s arrival, helping to foster a warm and loving sibling relationship from the start.

Most importantly, the Boobie Box is not really about the toys. It’s about helping your child feel seen, valued and connected while the family adjusts to its newest member.

Sometimes the smallest rituals can make the biggest difference. 💛

What would your child put in their Boobie Box?

I’ll be sharing a video soon on what I’ve included in the Boobie Box for my kids as we await the arrival of our little one. Stay tuned.

05/06/2026

🧊 The Anxiety Iceberg

When we think of anxiety in children, we often focus on what we can see.

The child who asks the same question repeatedly.
The child who avoids certain situations.
The child who seems clingy, worried, tearful, or nervous.

But these visible behaviours are often just the tip of the iceberg.

Beneath the surface, many children are carrying thoughts and feelings that others cannot see:

💙 Overthinking every possibility
💙 Fear of making mistakes
💙 Feeling unsafe even when they are safe
💙 Worrying about things being out of their control
💙 Feeling overwhelmed by everyday demands
💙 Struggling with change and uncertainty
💙 Believing negative things about themselves

When we understand what may be happening underneath the behaviour, our response changes.

Instead of:

❌ “Stop worrying.”
❌ “You’ll be fine.”
❌ “You’re overreacting.”

We can offer:

✨ “This feels really hard for you.”
✨ “I’m here with you.”
✨ “Let’s work through it together.”
✨ “You don’t have to carry this alone.”

Anxiety is not attention-seeking.
It is not defiance.
It is not a lack of resilience.

It is often a child doing their very best to cope with feelings that feel bigger than they can manage on their own.

Sometimes what children need most is not for us to remove the worry, but to help them feel safe, understood, and supported while they learn they can handle it.

Which part of this iceberg stands out most to you?

🤍 Share it with a parent, teacher, or caregiver who may need this reminder.

www.buddingminds.org

04/06/2026

💭 “Good job!”

Most of us say it dozens of times a day without even thinking about it. It comes from a place of love, encouragement, and wanting our children to feel proud of themselves.

But what if there was another way?

In his thought provoking article, Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job!”, educational author and researcher Alfie Kohn suggests that constant praise may sometimes shift children’s focus away from their own sense of accomplishment and towards seeking approval from others.

Instead of evaluating, he encourages us to notice, describe, and become curious:

✨ “You worked really hard on that.”
✨ “You put your shoes on all by yourself.”
✨ “What part are you most proud of?”
✨ “How did you figure that out?”

The goal isn’t to stop encouraging our children. It’s to help them develop an inner voice that says, “I did it!” rather than constantly looking outside themselves for validation.

As parents, we don’t need to be perfect. We can simply become more mindful of the messages our words send.

🌱 Children need connection more than constant praise.
🌱 They need to know they are loved for who they are, not only for what they do.
🌱 And sometimes, the most powerful response is simply noticing.

📚 Inspired by Alfie Kohn’s article Five Reasons to Stop Saying “Good Job!” (2001).

What are your thoughts? Do you find yourself saying “good job” often, or have you found other ways to encourage your child?

03/06/2026

🤍 Why Children Need Us To Acknowledge Their Feelings First 🤍

I have been doing an amazing parenting course and I wanted to share one of my favourite takeaways from the book How To Talk When Kids Won’t Listen by Joanna Faber and Julie King is the reminder that children need understanding before they need solutions. 👂🧏

When a child says:

“I’m not going!”

“I hate school!”

“It’s not fair!”

Our instinct is often to explain, reassure or fix the problem.

But children are far more likely to listen after they feel understood.

Imagine how different these responses feel:

❌ “You’ll be fine.”

❌ “It’s not a big deal.”

❌ “Stop worrying.”

Compared to:

🤍 “You’re really disappointed.”

🤍 “That sounds frustrating.”

🤍 “You wish things were different.”

Acknowledging a feeling doesn’t mean agreeing with a behaviour.

It simply lets a child know:

✨ I hear you.

✨ Your feelings make sense.

✨ You’re not alone with this.

When children feel understood, they often become calmer, more connected and more open to problem-solving.

Sometimes children don’t need us to fix their feelings.

They need us to sit with them long enough for the feeling to pass.

As Joanna Faber and Julie King remind us:

🤍 Feelings first. Solutions second.

01/06/2026

🤺Fight. ✈️Flight. ⛄️Freeze.

When children are overwhelmed, anxious, scared, frustrated, or feeling unsafe, their behaviour is often their nervous system speaking.

A child who lashes out may not be “naughty.”
A child who avoids, distracts, or runs away may not be “unmotivated.”
A child who shuts down and goes quiet may not be “lazy” or “disinterested.”

These are all common stress responses designed to keep us safe.

When we understand behaviour through the lens of the nervous system, we can move from asking:

❌ “What’s wrong with this child?”

to

💛 “What might this child be experiencing right now?”

Children do well when they can. Often what looks like defiance, avoidance, or withdrawal is actually a signal that they need support, connection, and co-regulation.

The goal is not to eliminate these responses. The goal is to help children feel safe enough that they no longer need them as often as well how to manage them.

Which stress response do you use?

www.buddingminds.org

10/05/2026

Mother’s Day can hold so many different emotions 🤍

For some, it is joyful and full.
For others, it is tender, complicated, quiet, painful, hopeful, or bittersweet.

Today, I’m sending love to every mother and every person holding motherhood in their own way.

To the moms carrying loss.
To those grieving their mothers.
To those with complicated relationships.
To the single moms.
To the stepmoms, foster moms, and mother figures.
To those longing to become mothers.
To the mothers navigating pregnancy after loss.
To those doing the beautiful, often unseen work of mothering.

However this day finds you, may you feel seen, held, and gently reminded that your story matters 🌸

With love,
Stacey

Address

Johannesburg
2196

Telephone

+27630986482

Website

http://www.buddingminds.org/

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