Littlelifesteps

05/11/2026

A common theme in my work this term.

The mum who gave a false smile as she was feeling dread,
gave one last cuddle, said
"Have a lovely day" as the teacher pried her child from her legs
and walked away with a massive lump in her throat.

The mum who got into the car, closed the door and let the tears fall.

The mum who is wondering whether she did the right thing,
whether she should have stayed longer,
whether her child will be okay
and whether tomorrow will be just as hard or even harder.

I want you to know something.

You are not failing.

Separation can be hard for little ones, and watching your child struggle can be incredibly hard for you too.

You might feel pressure to be positive,
stay strong and keep everything moving, especially when life doesn't stop because drop-off has been difficult.

But you don't have to have all the answers today.

Perhaps tomorrow, instead of focusing on how to get your child through the school gates,
take a moment to wonder what might be making it so difficult for them.

What are they feeling?
What are they finding hard?
What might they need from you?

And remember, you need care and understanding too.

Sometimes the first step towards making things easier for our children is giving ourselves a little kindness.

You're doing the best you can, on a day that might feel really hard.

And that matters.

❤️ If school drop-offs are hard in your house, know that you aren't alone.
My post yesterday shared a resource I have used with a dad recently. Check it out. :)

Sue x

04/11/2026

I recently worked with a dad and we focused on creating a happy garden to help little one at school drop off. ( little one loved arts and crafts)

He shared with me ,the completed Happy garden his little one filled in with him and it was lovely to read.
A flower for playing games togther :)🌼

When saying goodbye feels hard, telling a child to be brave or reminding them that school is fun might not be what they need most.

But we can use the happy garden.When it's time to leave for school, choose one flower together.

“What lovely thing would you like to carry in your heart today?”

You're not asking them to stop missing you.

You're helping them remember that the love, comfort and happy moments they have at home are still theirs when they're at school.

Because sometimes, children don't need help letting go of us.

They need help feeling connected to us while we're apart. ❤️

If you would like the happy garden activity drop the word happy below and I will share it with you.

Sue x

03/11/2026

I shared part A yesterday, chnage the lens.

Now try to fill the gap for your little one.

“Just popping to Nan’s” leaves a big blank. How long? What happens after?

Try “First Nan’s, then home, then tea.” Now there’s a map again.

Say what’s staying the same.
“The plan’s changed, but tea’s still happening and I’m still with you.”
That one line can take the edge off.

Tell them early. Before you’re in the car, not when you’re pulling up.

Also don’t do it for everything.
If you warn children about every single thing, they never get to practise being flexible.
Save it for the big ones, and practise tiny changes on calm days when nobody’s under pressure. That’s how the skill grows.

And if it’s intense and happening all the time, it’s worth looking a bit deeper at what’s underneath.
That’s not a bad thing, it just means your child might need a different approach
and I’m always happy to talk it through.

So tell me, what’s the hardest moments in your house? Pop it in the comments or drop me a DM.

Sue x

02/11/2026

Part A
The meltdown over a small thing isn’t your child being dramatic.
They can’t regulate the size of their reaction yet.
That’s the skill that’s missing.

And if you’re tiptoeing around them, something’s quietly shifted.
Their unpredictability has put your nervous system on alert too.
You’re both scanning for safety, and you’re feeding off each other.

So let’s change the lens.

The old lens might be
"My child hates change and is so dramatic."

The new lens could be
"My child feels everything deeply and hasn’t learned yet how to ride those waves.
They need me to be the calm in it, because that’s how they learn to do it themselves."

You’re not doing it wrong. You’re their calm until they can build their own.

Tomorrow I will share Part B -Okay, so you’ve changed the lens. What do you actually do when the plan is about to change?

Sue x

01/11/2026

Those Halloween frights can follow little ones long after the sweetsand costumes are gone.

Their imaginations may still be making sense of some of the spooky things they've seen.

If little ones are having nightmares or night terrors then check out my blog to help little ones feel safe again.(I learnt on my Anxiety and Autism Sleep training that nightmares don't usually happen before 2yrs old because little ones don't have the cognitive ability to imagine something scary before then.)

Comment blog below or drop me a DM for the link and let's stop the night wakes due to imaginations going crazy.

Sue x

30/10/2026

42 years of working with families has taught me that parents are usually the hardest on themselves.
This one’s for you, I had to share. :)
Sue x

Today I asked my body what she needed,
Which is a big deal
Considering my journey of
Not Really Asking That Much.

I thought she might need more water.
Or protein.
Or greens.
Or yoga.
Or supplements.
Or movement.

But as I stood in the shower
Reflecting on her stretch marks,
Her roundness where I would like flatness,
Her softness where I would like firmness,
All those conditioned wishes
That form a bundle of
Never-Quite-Right-Ness,
She whispered very gently:

Could you just love me like this?

•
Beautiful quote by Hollie Holden. What a powerful reminder to love and value your body, just as it is.

With love
Fiona
www.earthmonk.guru

Amazing crochet 🧶 by Yulia Ustinova

29/10/2026

Sometimes the child we’re worrying about isn’t the child in front of us.

We picture who they’ll be,
what they should have mastered by now,
what school will look like.
When they don’t match that picture, the worry kicks in.

But our children are changing all the time.
The child you’re finding tricky today won’t be the same child in six months.

A Tiny shift-instead of thinking
“How do I get them to where they should be?”

Think “Who is my child today, and what do they need from me right now?”

You can have hopes.
You just don’t have to parent a future version of them today.

Hope this helps.

Sue x

28/10/2026

Lets be more playful with toileting.

If you have a dinosaur lover grab my fr33 resource and have some fun with my dinosaur footprints. Older children can join in too cutting them out and making up tracks leading to secret places.
Drop me a DM for the link :)

Sue x