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If your child can talk for days but freezes the moment a pencil hits paper, the problem might not be “motivation” or “attention.” It might be handwriting. We sit down with educator and curriculum designer Holly Britton, founder of Squiggle Squad, to unpack why handwriting instruction is a core building block for literacy, written expression, and confident learning, especially in the early elementary years.

We get specific about what handwriting really is: a transcription skill that has to become automatic so kids can use their brain power for planning, organizing, and revising. Holly explains how fine motor skills and cognitive language skills develop together, why the brain treats writing-by-hand differently than speaking, and how overlapping literacy systems make handwriting more than a nice-to-have. We also talk directionality and why early motor patterns can lock in for years, plus a practical example that can help prevent b and d reversals by teaching consistent start points.

Then we zoom out to what developmentally appropriate learning looks like. Holly shares the Squiggle Squad approach of teaching a small set of pre-writing strokes first through gross motor play and finger tracing, before asking young kids to form letters on paper. We also tackle a real classroom issue: kids rarely see adults handwrite anymore, and screen-based “handwriting” demos often fail to model the actual tool, grip, and movement children need to copy.

If you care about early literacy, child development, fine motor skills, and practical handwriting tips for parents and teachers, you’ll leave with clear next steps and a simple chalk challenge you can do today. Subscribe, share this with a parent or educator, and leave a review with your biggest handwriting question so we can cover it next.

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The fastest way to lose your kid is to keep talking when what they need is to be understood. That’s why I loved this conversation with Dr. Beth Long, a licensed professional counselor and ABA therapist in Montgomery, Alabama, who brings both clinical clarity and real-parent humility to the hardest parts of family life.

We get into what children actually want from parents at different ages: younger kids craving you to join them more, and teens repeating the line Dr. Beth hears constantly in her work, “My parents never listen to me.” We talk about listening without rehearsing your response, how that creates safety, and why connection is not a reward kids have to earn. Dr. Beth also shares how her own parenting “failures” shaped the practical guidance in her book Beyond Words: The Art of Effectively Communicating With Your Child, plus a preview of Beyond Emotions: The Art of Raising Resilient Children.

If you’re parenting a neurodiverse child, we dig into autism communication, gestalt language learners, splintered skills, and the difference between expressive language delays and receptive language delays. We also unpack a game-based approach to emotional regulation, the idea that all feelings are welcome while not all behaviors are, and why a stronger emotion vocabulary can change your whole home. Along the way, we swap tools like Atlas of the Heart and simple feelings-map resources that make “mad” more specific and more manageable.

Subscribe for more practical parenting conversations, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review so more families can find the support they’ve been searching for.

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SJ CHILDS - SOCIALS & WEBSITE MASTER LIST

WEBSITES

- Stream-Able Live — https://www.streamable.live-COMING SOON

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“The struggle is real, the label is not.” That line sets the tone for a deep, candid conversation with Roman Wyden, founder of the ADHD Is Over movement, as we challenge the way modern culture talks about ADHD, behavior, and so-called “disorders.” We don’t deny the pain families feel. We zoom in on what helps: naming the real struggle, reducing stress, and building environments where kids can actually function and feel safe.

We talk through how ADHD has been rebranded across history, why the symptom “net” keeps widening, and what gets missed when we treat a diagnosis like destiny. Roman shares why he believes many attention and behavior challenges are driven by misfit environments and chronic stress, not broken brains. We get practical about what parents can examine beyond the prescription pad: school fit, household emotional climate, sleep, nutrition, media input, and honesty about what’s happening at home. We also dig into genetics versus epigenetics, and why hearing “it’s genetic” can quietly turn into “there’s nothing I can do.”

From there, we move into emotional regulation and conscious parenting. We unpack moments like embarrassment, fear of disappointment, harsh words, and “acting out,” and we reframe them as signals rather than character flaws. We also explore a powerful definition of love: accepting your child for who they are and who they are not in any given moment, especially when things go sideways.

If you’re navigating an ADHD diagnosis, questioning ADHD medication, or searching for ADHD parenting strategies that actually reduce daily stress, this conversation will give you language, perspective, and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a parent who needs it, and leave a review with the part that resonated most.

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SJ CHILDS - SOCIALS & WEBSITE MASTER LIST

WEBSITES

- Stream-Able Live — https://www.streamable.live-COMING SOON

- The SJ Childs Global Network — https://www.sjchilds.org

- The SJ Childs Show Podcast Page — https://www.sjchildsshow.com

YOUTUBE

- The SJ Childs Show — https://www.youtube.com/@sjchildsshow

- Louie Lou (Cats Channel) — https://www.youtube.com/@2catslouielou

FACEBOOK

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