In this special Valentine’s Day episode of A Sensory Emotional Lens, we explore the real first love the brain ever knows: the bond between parent and child.

Before hearts, flowers, and romance, the brain learns love through the senses. This episode dives into how touch, sound, sight, smell, and taste shape attachment, regulate the nervous system, and wire the brain for connection—long before we have words for any of it.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why the brain doesn’t develop in isolation—it develops in relationship

• How touch and oxytocin support co-regulation and emotional safety

• How a caregiver’s voice and tone shape a child’s stress and reward systems

• Why being seen (eye contact and attunement) fuels motivation and connection

• How smell anchors emotional memory and a sense of belonging

• How feeding and taste build trust in both caregivers and the body

• What happens when sensory processing or early experiences are unpredictable

• Why these patterns are not failures of love, but survival strategies

• The hopeful truth: the brain remains plastic—and healing connection is possible at any age

Love isn’t about what you buy—it’s about presence, attunement, and showing up. The small, everyday sensory moments of connection are what shape the brain and build secure attachment over time.

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Visit our Learning Center

We know that sensory-motor experiences play a significant role in a child’s daily life and emotional well-being. Using playful interactions, The Sensory Emotional Center of Learning is designed to bring our therapeutic model, the Sensory Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference, into your home or work.

https://www.sensoryemotionalcenteroflearning.com

Want more resources? Please visit our blog: https://greatkidsplace.com/category/blog/

and https://sensoryemotional.org/

About

AnnMarie Murphy, OTD, OT/L, PNAP

Occupational Therapist, Great Kids Place

Co-Director, Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent

AnnMarie is an Occupational Therapist and Assistant Professor at FDU, where she teaches mental health, neuroscience, and pediatrics. She holds a doctoral degree in occupational therapy, specializes in the evaluation and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder, and is a fellow of Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E.

Her background also includes a degree in Psychology, supporting her focus on social-emotional development, parent stress, and family dynamics.

A Tribute to Michele Parkins, MS, OTR/L, IMH-E®

Founder, Great Kids Place and the Sensory-motor Emotional EngageMent Frame of Reference

Michele Parkins dedicated her life to supporting children and families with sensory processing and social-emotional challenges. As both a professional and a parent of two sensory children, she combined expertise with deep personal understanding.

Passionate about empowering families and mentoring therapists, Michele taught internationally, consulted with schools, and co-authored a chapter in the 3rd edition of Sensory Integration: Theory and Practice, the leading textbook in the field. At the time of her passing, she was writing books to help families recognize their Sensory Emotional Personality styles and discover strength and joy within them.

Though gone too soon, Michele’s legacy endures in the lives she touched, the community she built, and the vision she entrusted us to carry forward.