Cat Index - Unlocking Childhood

#aweandwonder #naturebasedlearning #kinshipwithnat

#aweandwonder #naturebasedlearning #kinshipwithnature
@iiqpeterborough

🫟Does this land with any of my fellow ‘visual thin

🫟Does this land with any of my fellow ‘visual thinkers’ out there?!

Maybe meeting times should include a little tension, some straying and untamed-ness, and certainly personal autonomy and agency. 🤷‍♀️

👉As we transition out of Mental Health Awareness M

👉As we transition out of Mental Health Awareness Month…what are some “indirect” ways you nurture your mental health and well-being?

Before every session, I like to anchor myself with

Before every session, I like to anchor myself with this question ‘if a child was standing at the back of the room tonight, what would they hope are the key takeaways for adults at this session?’.

It reminds me of the “invisible audience” at sessions: the children we serve—and of my responsibility and values prior to moving into my work.

Last night, before I offered a session for families, the responses that came up for me when reflecting on this question were:

~the child might hope parents recognize children are inherently good, and that “big emotions” are not behaviours or character flaws, but simply a natural part of their humanity;

~the child might hope that parents learn to make space for their own emotional world, recognizing its value and the important role of self-compassion in caring for themselves and their children;

~and, the child might hope that parents stop worrying about who they will become, and learn to respect and honour who their children are right now.

Of course, there are more, but these were the three that came up first—and they stayed with me as a guiding force throughout the session—ensuring I never forget why we are all gathered in these rooms in the first place 💛

✨Update: Now booking into Fall and Winter 2026-202

✨Update: Now booking into Fall and Winter 2026-2027, with Fall filling up quickly!✏️🗓️

On *savouring*the small moments with children✨ In

On *savouring*the small moments with children✨

In the busyness of the day, can we release any guilt we may have about slowing down with children?
Without taking a photo, writing things down to document—just being in connection with one another.

This is me…signing my first book deal 📝✨!! I never

This is me…signing my first book deal 📝✨!!
I never imagined I’d someday have the opportunity to write a book that guides educators towards creating trauma-informed/trauma-assumed programs and relationships for children and families, but this is the gift and responsibility I’ve been given. I am not sure what I’m feeling right now…but it’s more than grateful.

Growing up, educators were literal lifelines for me…and fortunately, I had many trauma-sensitive educators even before deep understandings of trauma were mainstream. Now, I will spend the next year and a half writing a book that is intended to provide educators with a thorough understanding of childhood/developmental trauma, from both scientific (research) AND artistic (art, poetry, storytelling, etc.) lenses.

In this book, I will share some of my own stories (from my personal life and practice as an educator with children)and the often-unheard voices and perspectives of underrepresented individuals as well who face systemic forms of trauma everyday. Because, although many of our practices in ECE are trauma-sensitive, trauma-insensitivities also exist.

I can’t wait to share this book with you. Many of you have attended my sessions on childhood trauma, and this will be a much deeper dive—intended to provide you with practical skills and a more textured understanding overall.

In the end, my hope is that this book will not just inform, but also offer a space for healing and being held💛

Thank you to Redleaf Press for trusting me with this book. Here we go!📝✨

Instagram post 18016804667677564

Instagram post 18016804667677564

It was a pleasure to be a guest on the @striveswo

It was a pleasure to be a guest on the @striveswo podcast Leading Inspired Learning! 🩵💚💛 We talked about what it means for children AND educators to be ‘well’ (freedom & agency) instead of focusing on what it means to be ‘good’ (compliance). Ally asks some great questions in real time—getting to the ‘heart’ of this message for listeners.
✨Stay tuned for this episode in the next couple of months!🎙️

Follow on Instagram

The Child
The Self
The Environment & Materials
The Culture

Home
ABOUT
Work With Me
Yellow Chair Chats
Blog
Resources
Contact

Unlocking Childhood

Home
ABOUT
Work With Me
Yellow Chair Chats
Blog
Resources
Contact

Want to Learn More?

On this page, you can browse our most popular categories.

The Child

A Message on AWE: Letting the ‘WONDERS of Life’ Change You

The World Needs Our Softness

Listen in as Mary Discusses Trauma-Informed Care in ECE

More on The Child >

The Self

A Message on AWE: Letting the ‘WONDERS of Life’ Change You

The World Needs Our Softness

Mary is a Guest on the Thriving Minds Podcast! Listen here:

More on The Self >

The Environment & Materials

A Message on AWE: Letting the ‘WONDERS of Life’ Change You

Navigating Discomfort in Children’s “Risky Play”: Tools and Strategies to Help Your Team

More on The Environment & Materials

The Culture

Honouring Children’s Natural Rhythms and Perspectives in the Early Years

On the Topic of Neuro Divergence!

More than Measurable Outcomes: A Holistic Perspective of “Play”

More on The Culture

#aweandwonder #naturebasedlearning #kinshipwithnat

#aweandwonder #naturebasedlearning #kinshipwithnature
@iiqpeterborough

🫟Does this land with any of my fellow ‘visual thin

🫟Does this land with any of my fellow ‘visual thinkers’ out there?!

Maybe meeting times should include a little tension, some straying and untamed-ness, and certainly personal autonomy and agency. 🤷‍♀️

👉As we transition out of Mental Health Awareness M

👉As we transition out of Mental Health Awareness Month…what are some “indirect” ways you nurture your mental health and well-being?

Before every session, I like to anchor myself with

Before every session, I like to anchor myself with this question ‘if a child was standing at the back of the room tonight, what would they hope are the key takeaways for adults at this session?’.

It reminds me of the “invisible audience” at sessions: the children we serve—and of my responsibility and values prior to moving into my work.

Last night, before I offered a session for families, the responses that came up for me when reflecting on this question were:

~the child might hope parents recognize children are inherently good, and that “big emotions” are not behaviours or character flaws, but simply a natural part of their humanity;

~the child might hope that parents learn to make space for their own emotional world, recognizing its value and the important role of self-compassion in caring for themselves and their children;

~and, the child might hope that parents stop worrying about who they will become, and learn to respect and honour who their children are right now.

Of course, there are more, but these were the three that came up first—and they stayed with me as a guiding force throughout the session—ensuring I never forget why we are all gathered in these rooms in the first place 💛

✨Update: Now booking into Fall and Winter 2026-202

✨Update: Now booking into Fall and Winter 2026-2027, with Fall filling up quickly!✏️🗓️

On *savouring*the small moments with children✨ In

On *savouring*the small moments with children✨

In the busyness of the day, can we release any guilt we may have about slowing down with children?
Without taking a photo, writing things down to document—just being in connection with one another.

This is me…signing my first book deal 📝✨!! I never

This is me…signing my first book deal 📝✨!!
I never imagined I’d someday have the opportunity to write a book that guides educators towards creating trauma-informed/trauma-assumed programs and relationships for children and families, but this is the gift and responsibility I’ve been given. I am not sure what I’m feeling right now…but it’s more than grateful.

Growing up, educators were literal lifelines for me…and fortunately, I had many trauma-sensitive educators even before deep understandings of trauma were mainstream. Now, I will spend the next year and a half writing a book that is intended to provide educators with a thorough understanding of childhood/developmental trauma, from both scientific (research) AND artistic (art, poetry, storytelling, etc.) lenses.

In this book, I will share some of my own stories (from my personal life and practice as an educator with children)and the often-unheard voices and perspectives of underrepresented individuals as well who face systemic forms of trauma everyday. Because, although many of our practices in ECE are trauma-sensitive, trauma-insensitivities also exist.

I can’t wait to share this book with you. Many of you have attended my sessions on childhood trauma, and this will be a much deeper dive—intended to provide you with practical skills and a more textured understanding overall.

In the end, my hope is that this book will not just inform, but also offer a space for healing and being held💛

Thank you to Redleaf Press for trusting me with this book. Here we go!📝✨

Instagram post 18016804667677564

Instagram post 18016804667677564

It was a pleasure to be a guest on the @striveswo

It was a pleasure to be a guest on the @striveswo podcast Leading Inspired Learning! 🩵💚💛 We talked about what it means for children AND educators to be ‘well’ (freedom & agency) instead of focusing on what it means to be ‘good’ (compliance). Ally asks some great questions in real time—getting to the ‘heart’ of this message for listeners.
✨Stay tuned for this episode in the next couple of months!🎙️

Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 Unlocking Childhood · Theme by 17th Avenue