Turn down the heat of BIG behaviors.
And keep your cool (more often).
Raising Kids Without Losing Your Mind
Things feel crazy. But you don’t have to.
Even when you can’t make heads or tails of your kids’ behavior, you’re their home base.
Whether it’s less sass and yelling, a longer fuse, or more effective advocacy at school—how we respond to big behaviors changes the whole family vibe.
A 10-week group for the shift you want to see.
Yelling feels awful. For both of you.
Transitions and screentime are battlefields.
School stress and meltdowns are par for the course. And bedtime takes forever.
You want your kids to have better skills for managing frustration and weathering disappointment.
You try to let siblings solve their own tangles. But you worry someone’s going to get hurt.
This is raising kids with baffling behaviors. And it’s exhausting.
Spanking doesn’t solve the problem. And permissiveness makes things worse.
Endless creative consequences take SO much energy. And don’t change much.
But what if your child’s sensitivity or intensity are important clues to a different approach?
What if the urgency of big reactions and sullen retreats isn’t what needs to change—but are a neon sign to patterns we can track?
I’ll show you ways to interrupt and re-route with fewer power struggles.
Because here’s what traditional parenting books don’t tell you:
Their brain and nervous system is connected to yours. It matters how you manage your own reaction to their distress.
This doesn’t mean you’re causing it. It means you have direct access to what’s under the surface.
Hi, I’m MereAnn, and I’m unshaming parenting
We adults are like thermostats in our kids’ environment; we have the power to adjust the temperature, but it takes awareness and intention to not increase intensity right alongside them, or give up when they do.
That doesn’t mean we cause kids’ behavior—it means we can influence it by adjusting our own reactions, building our capacity, and matching our expectations to their current strengths and challenges.
This is not permissive parenting. It’s adaptive leadership.
I’ll guide you through the brain science and child development info that back up a regulation-focused approach, with flexible strategies you can use right away.
After years of studying and teaching relational neuroscience, attachment theory, family systems, and power dynamics—I’m excited to share this professionally designed curriculum, brimming with practical, science-backed strategies and tons of support for…
setting limits that stick without intensity
balancing boundaries with realistic expectations—identifying your own needs in the process
making room for competing needs of different family members—building up less resentment
navigating conflict without flipping your lid (as often…nobody’s perfect!)
positive communication and repairing upsets—with an understanding of how mindful conflict can actually build resilience
different learning styles and sensory capacities—exploring why/how neurodivergent regulation and communication needs matter
weaving together your values and needs as a parent—there is an essential humanity in recognizing you have needs, too
advocating for your child in different settings (school, co-parenting, camps, grandparents, etc.) with less shame and more affirmation
Because here’s the thing.
Rewards and punishment are not effective vehicles for regulation and connection.
Preschoolers getting expelled doesn’t teach them any skills. And missing recess is the opposite of a what a busy-bodied, impulsive child needs. They need an outlet, structure, predictability, the capacity to notice their own needs. Plus awareness and language to ask for what helps them.
Anchoring our kids with the confidence that we can hold (just a little) more than they can—changes how our presence and interventions feel. And when kids feel seen and heard, they know we care about them, not just their behavior.
Overwhelmed children need adults who are anchored in their power and regulated (enough) before, during, and after upsets—not all at once, or every time—but repeatedly, over time. It’s why we’re together for 10 weeks: Practice, not perfect.
Because when we model for them how to notice patterns, ask for what they need, and identify what tools to use when—that attunement and confidence is contagious.
We’re not just talking about skills. You’ll learn to decode behaviors, grow your capacity, and channel intensity into empowerment.
This is alchemical parenting: metabolizing chaos, charge, and resistance into a form you can hold without getting burned.
Course materials created by Robyn Gobbel, host of The Baffling Behavior Show podcast and book, Raising Kids With Big, Baffling Behaviors.
Got Questions?
Scroll down to the FAQ’s below. Or reach out via my Contact Form.
You’re also welcome to book a FREE phone chat on my calendar, and let’s talk about whether this group is a good fit for your family.
Shift toward more confidence, less conflict, and enjoy your kids more!
Who This Group Is For
Raising Kids With Big, Baffling Behaviors — A Course for Parents of 3-12 year-olds — especially designed for navigating high sensitivity, neurodivergence, different learning needs, and building paths to more connection.
What You Can Expect
(10) Weekly small group sessions — Tuesdays on Zoom, October 7-December 16, 4:30PM-6:15 Pacific — No session Nov. 25th
Email support between sessions (up to 2x week)
Practical, flexible tools to start using right away
Weekly topics and TONS of examples to guide you through the tools
Time for Q+A every time we meet—come get your BIG (and small) questions answered
Neurodiversity-affirming parenting strategies rooted in a strength-based, connection-first, science-informed approach
Full-color printable workbook
You get to decide how much “homework” you do (i.e.—intentional experiments, written reflection, podcasts & other resources)
A circle of parents with similar experiences, where your questions are welcomed and challenges held with compassion
I’ll braid all this together with the brain science to back it up, helping you add strategies to your toolbox that are tailored for everyday challenges and your capacity.
I don’t just teach a bunch of parenting skills. Because kids don’t want to be techniqued. Neither do you.
They want to be seen and heard. And know it’s going to be OK. They need to trust we’ve got them.
Everything we’ll cover in the next 10-weeks goes way beyond behavior and gets at the root of what’s really going on. That means you can get back a TON of energy spent on rewards, consequences, and confusion.
Instead of chasing BIG behaviors like a wild game of Whack-A-Mole, you can:
Feel more confident and regulated as a parent.
You’ll get strategies to deflect criticism, even when your inner critic pipes up. By the end, you’ll have a reliable inner compass that helps you aim WAY closer to the root of challenges, seeing them clearly.Refocus attention from praise and punishment, to “I hear you” and “we’ll figure it out.”
Shifting out of win/lose power struggles with language and strategies that decrease intensity.Learn why teaching skills is way harder (and less effective) than practicing being with our kids when they’re struggling.
The tools you’ll learn to work with are strategic and matched to different levels of intensity. We’ll lay a 3-week foundation of nervous system knowledge, before building up 5 weeks of flexible tools, then 2 weeks of mindfulness and maintenance skills for your stamina. Even when things get bumpy.Trust that steadying ourselves in the midst of challenge is about our capacity, more than theirs.
They are watching our every move and mapping their coping strategies on ours. So we’ll spend five weeks on practical, flexible tools to meet moments of intensity and retreat with persistence—with way more buffer to prevent burn-out.Significantly expand your capacity for meeting stuck spots—and off-track behaviors.
We’ll spend three whole weeks running your new tools through your own filter of values and nervous system needs—so you practice keeping your cool with intention—not just staying calm.Lean into a community of other parents decidedly not shocked by messy moments.
I promise. It’s not just you.
I’ll share the brain science behind skillful interventions.
So you can practice trusting yourself.
And adapting your response to your family’s specific needs.
“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.”
Parent Group (10 weeks)
Steady support for 3 months + brain-body-sensory tools that really work. Virtual group, Tuesdays 4:30-6:15 PT with parents who get it! Community is here—join us.
Friend Deal
Bring a buddy!
Boost your built-in support with a juicy discount. Exploring together is a powerful path thru stuck spots to new results. Friends don’t let friends practice new skills solo.
Private Coaching
8 weeks of 1:1 anchoring. Whether making sense of shenanigans, supporting siblings, or shifting schools—get sturdy support and solid skills tailored for your family.
What parents have to say
-
“I enjoyed the connection and community with other parents. It helped me feel less isolated in my struggles to support my child.”
— parent of 2nd grader
-
"I constantly go back to what I learned in this class when observing my daughter—what I learned from MereAnn, other families, and my own self-reflection."
— parent of Kindergartener
-
“Parents are appreciated and celebrated in this course rather than made to feel judged in their parenting.”
— parent with new tools & confidence
-
“MereAnn offers an effective and comforting blend of parenting strategy and group support. I would recommend this class"
— parent of pre-teen boys
Here’s where we’re headed…week by week
Becoming the expert in your kid’s behavior
Why don’t off-the-shelf parenting books seem to work for your kid? One wide-sweeping guess? They’re not written for or about your kid!
Week 1 What You See Isn’t What You Get
We’ll explore the brain science of regulation and behavior, with attention to non-verbal communication, taking a no-shame, no-blame approach to making sense of big reactions and specific support for anchoring through BIG behaviors and high stress moments.
Week 2 Regulated, Connected Kids Who Feel Safe and Know What To Do Behave Well
I’ll share how I talk with kids about understanding their own brains and needs—so you can help guide them through this process, too. And you’ll get to experience a whole new perspective on what it means to navigate the world (inside and outside) with a vulnerable nervous system.
Week 3 Exploring A New Lens on Behavior
You are nearly the best-equipped person in the world to write the operator’s manual for your own child, second only to them! We’ll start tailor-making the tools that will pave the way for the pivot you’re making.
Now Let’s Shift Those Behaviors
(not ‘fix’ your kid)
The deal with parenthood is that you don’t get all the information up front. It’s more like a spigot that turns on fast or slow over time, sometimes a trickle of insight flows out—other times it’s gushing! But what a book can’t tell you is how to handle each individual moment when you and/or your child are flooded. That’s where this series fills in the gaps.
Week 4 Getting To Know The Engage, Protect, Shut-Down Brain Pathways
We’ll start with navigating the hotspots, making sense of what’s happening in those moments, and working backward from there…so you can meet the next mighty moment with more perspective & tools.
Week 5 Increase Felt Safety (in the body, the environment, and relationships)
Delve into why rewards, consequence, logic & control don’t budge some of the most persistent behaviors. When we focus on the behavior, it can feel like playing a game of Whack-A-Mole! Let’s start practicing what to do instead.
Week 6 Changing The Brain With Connection and Co-Regulation
Just when one behavior shifts, another one pops up…no, you’re not nuts…and you’re not the only one. This his how vulnerable nervous systems respond to stress.
Week 7 Strategies To Calm The Protection Brain and Soothe The Shut-Down/Withdrawal Brain
Week 8 What To Do When Their Thinking Brain Returns (AKA: What about a consequence?)
Why Knowing Isn’t Even Half The Battle
(Why “know better, do better” isn’t the whole story)
Supporting your child and their needs is an essential responsibility of parenthood. But it does not require you to let go of your own needs in the process. It’s possible to feel more connected with your child without losing track of yourself. I’ll show you what I mean…no bubble baths or solo retreats required. And no judgment if those are part of your dream! We’ll lean into expanding your capacity by tuning into yourself.
Week 9 How You Can Know What To Do And Still Not Do It
Now that we know how Connection, Protection, and Non-Verbal communication are part of the path to finding new ways in, we can lean into growing your own window of stress tolerance. You’ll tap into your inner compass to orient and map your path as a leader in your family—even when you lose it (nobody’s perfect).
Week 10 Growing Your Capacity For Stress Tolerance + 4 Steps To Not Flip Your Lid
I’ll teach you how to be a thermostat for your kids, resetting the level of intensity and shifting the vibe without walking on eggshells. You already have a sturdy toolbox by this point. Let’s work together to update and adjust how you wield your best tools.
Frequently Asked
-
This group has been created specifically with neurodiverse parents and kids in mind. That means we’re working with the nervous system needs that are present, not imagining what those needs “should or could” be. If you need captions, notes, or other supportive resources to access the material, I’m glad to support you and get creative with resources in different formats.
If we haven’t yet met, request a free phone consult,and let’s chat.
-
Absolutely! They are welcome to join you—enrollment is per family, not each. You’ll both get more out of it if you attend together, rather than alternating weeks. Each session is designed to build on the last, with tools grouped together.
Sole parenting? Enroll with a buddy to get the Friend Deal—for both of you!
-
Hoping to explore the tips and tools we cover in more detail? You are welcome to add on a dedicated coaching session at a special rate just for folks in the class.
Or register for 1:1 parent coaching, and we’ll go through the material at your own pace, with tailored support.
-
I’m asking you to make a sincere commitment to the full series.
And, still: Life happens! We’ll navigate unexpected changes together, and I’ll make a sincere effort to meet you in a way that makes the class accessible.
Since this is a series of live group sessions, each session builds on the prior one. Do let me know if you have to miss a session, and I’ll share a couple resources to fill you in.
Sessions won’t be recorded, but your course workbook highlights the main ideas. I’ll be happy to share the slides, or suggest a podcast episode that relates, and I’m always open to your questions.
-
Yes, indeed! You’re welcome to pay in 4 installments, with the understanding that there are no refunds. Your commitment is for the full cost of the class, so please make sure it’s a BIG ol’ YES for you before you sign up.
