✏️ Today's Poem: To Raise Children 💛

✏️ Today's Poem: To Raise Children 💛

Instagram post 17851641993572820

Instagram post 17851641993572820

💛☀️I always say: Early Childhood Educators

💛☀️I always say: Early Childhood Educators are “my people”! And there’s good reason for that: they are strong, empathetic, dedicated, fun, creative, and passionate about the care of littlest learners..(just listen to that audio in the video!).

They are the stewards of our next generation. Today, let’s pause to recognize the pillars of our communities: ECEs and Child Care Workers💛☀️

#earlychildhoodeducationmatters #earlychildhoodeducator #carecounts #earlyyears #childcare

✨Meet Mary of Unlocking Childhood!✨ Mary’s

✨Meet Mary of Unlocking Childhood!✨

Mary’s Bio:👇

Mary Hewitt, founder of Unlocking Childhood, is an experienced public speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in the well-being of children, parents, educators, and child-centered professionals. With 15 years in the Early Learning field as a classroom educator, early childhood education professor, and early years system leader—she leverages her expertise to develop engaging and meaningful learning experiences for her clients. Mary holds a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Education degree, a diploma in Early Childhood Education, and a Psychology degree.

Mary dedicates much of her work to topics such as: well-being and mental health; the ‘childhood trauma-informed’ approach; how to develop an ‘attachment lens’; and nurturing emotional competence.

She has captivated audiences up to 500+ attendees and has delivered her work in a variety of contexts from large-scale arenas to individual classrooms. Mary offers keynotes, workshops, conferences, virtual sessions, and even one-on-one coaching and consultations. She has appeared as a guest on several podcasts and as a writer for various publications.

Mary credits her eclectic experiences, extensive education, and neurodivergent mind for her dynamic approach—and is passionate about sharing it with the world!

Mary resides in rural Ontario with her husband and beloved dog.

Video by:
@solboundstudio

The ✨🎶JOYFUL🎵✨energy at this session was

The ✨🎶JOYFUL🎵✨energy at this session was unstoppable!

What an amazing group of educators in St. Thomas & Elgin—who all walked through the doors of this session to sing, dance, play with instruments, laugh, and learn with me! Their passion & commitment to nurturing children’s natural inclination to move, sing, dance, & make some noise—shined through!

A big thank you to St. Thomas & Elgin’s Children’s Services for inviting me to be a part of your conference this year! It was a day I will remember for many years to come!💛

PS: yes, that indeed was a conga line running along the back wall!! 💃 And yes, I was dancing too…which made the video a little bumpy (worth it!)

🌟Did you know I offer a Portfolio which include

🌟Did you know I offer a Portfolio which includes a menu of my sessions?🌟

You can find it by following this link:👇https://unlockingchildhood.com/portfolio/portfolio-example-2/

Note: I also provide customized sessions outside of these options, as long as they fall within my areas of expertise!

👉Exciting News!✏️ An new stream of learning

👉Exciting News!✏️
An new stream of learning is now being formally offered by Unlocking Childhood: 🌟Pedagogical Partnerships!🌟

✏️What are Pedagogical Partnerships? In a Pedagogical Partnership, I work with a community of learners to complete a long-term Community of Practice series over several months on a specific topic/area of practice.

✏️The Benefits?:
~increased engagement and professional growth
~a greater likelihood of long-term change
~a focus on putting learning-into-practice
~increased accountability
~more opportunities to ask questions, dialogue, troubleshoot, and brainstorm together
~creates a supportive community of learners

👉If you're interested in learning more about Pedagogical Partnerships for your community, contact Mary✏️ at unlockingchildhood@hotmail.com

🔔 The Parent’s Toolkit is available now!🚨

🔔 The Parent’s Toolkit is available now!🚨
This 2 hour session covers some of parents most requested topics, and can be delivered virtually or in-person.
Last week, I delivered this thought-provoking session to over 100 parents, and they asked some great questions like:
How do I become a less strict parent? or
What do I do if several children are fighting over a toy? or
What do I do if my child’s school have practices that don’t align with our expectations at home? …

Working with families is one of my most cherished facets of this work. If you’re interested in this session for your community, reach out to me at unlockingchildhood@hotmail.com 🙂

The County of Renfrew Children’s Services Divisi

The County of Renfrew Children’s Services Division is offering a free virtual session for parents/guardians.

Supporting Children’s Mental Health (and our own!) in Exceptional Times 👩Presented by @unlockingchildhood with Mary Hewitt
🗓When? October 1st at 6pm.
💻Where? Online- you will receive a zoom invite once you registered
❓️How to Register: Click the link in our instagram bio or https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GpvWDYKxT46r7sS9X9UeQg

Registration is required.
Registration will be open until the time of the event.

👉🏼Session Description: Are you a parent or caregiver who is interested in supporting your child’s well-being? Do you want to relieve some of the pressure and confusion around raising children in these rapidly-changing and complex times? In this session, we will explore what it means for children to be truly ‘well’ in today’s world—and the practical strategies and approaches you can use to help them get there. We will also learn what makes us truly ‘well’—beyond over-generalized concepts of “self-care”—which can often feel unrealistic and only add to our never-ending ‘to do’ lists. In the end, you will leave this session feeling empowered and ready to make impactful changes that will enhance well-being for you and your entire family!

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

The Child · July 8, 2025

Listen in as Mary Discusses Trauma-Informed Care in ECE

join the club

You’ll Also Love

On the Topic of Neuro Divergence!

Come As You Are: Cultivating Belonging with Children

Introduction to ‘Conscious Care’: Re-examining the Self to Better Serve Children

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

✏️ Today's Poem: To Raise Children 💛

✏️ Today's Poem: To Raise Children 💛

Instagram post 17851641993572820

Instagram post 17851641993572820

💛☀️I always say: Early Childhood Educators

💛☀️I always say: Early Childhood Educators are “my people”! And there’s good reason for that: they are strong, empathetic, dedicated, fun, creative, and passionate about the care of littlest learners..(just listen to that audio in the video!).

They are the stewards of our next generation. Today, let’s pause to recognize the pillars of our communities: ECEs and Child Care Workers💛☀️

#earlychildhoodeducationmatters #earlychildhoodeducator #carecounts #earlyyears #childcare

✨Meet Mary of Unlocking Childhood!✨ Mary’s

✨Meet Mary of Unlocking Childhood!✨

Mary’s Bio:👇

Mary Hewitt, founder of Unlocking Childhood, is an experienced public speaker, writer, and consultant specializing in the well-being of children, parents, educators, and child-centered professionals. With 15 years in the Early Learning field as a classroom educator, early childhood education professor, and early years system leader—she leverages her expertise to develop engaging and meaningful learning experiences for her clients. Mary holds a Masters degree in Early Childhood Education, a Bachelor of Education degree, a diploma in Early Childhood Education, and a Psychology degree.

Mary dedicates much of her work to topics such as: well-being and mental health; the ‘childhood trauma-informed’ approach; how to develop an ‘attachment lens’; and nurturing emotional competence.

She has captivated audiences up to 500+ attendees and has delivered her work in a variety of contexts from large-scale arenas to individual classrooms. Mary offers keynotes, workshops, conferences, virtual sessions, and even one-on-one coaching and consultations. She has appeared as a guest on several podcasts and as a writer for various publications.

Mary credits her eclectic experiences, extensive education, and neurodivergent mind for her dynamic approach—and is passionate about sharing it with the world!

Mary resides in rural Ontario with her husband and beloved dog.

Video by:
@solboundstudio

The ✨🎶JOYFUL🎵✨energy at this session was

The ✨🎶JOYFUL🎵✨energy at this session was unstoppable!

What an amazing group of educators in St. Thomas & Elgin—who all walked through the doors of this session to sing, dance, play with instruments, laugh, and learn with me! Their passion & commitment to nurturing children’s natural inclination to move, sing, dance, & make some noise—shined through!

A big thank you to St. Thomas & Elgin’s Children’s Services for inviting me to be a part of your conference this year! It was a day I will remember for many years to come!💛

PS: yes, that indeed was a conga line running along the back wall!! 💃 And yes, I was dancing too…which made the video a little bumpy (worth it!)

🌟Did you know I offer a Portfolio which include

🌟Did you know I offer a Portfolio which includes a menu of my sessions?🌟

You can find it by following this link:👇https://unlockingchildhood.com/portfolio/portfolio-example-2/

Note: I also provide customized sessions outside of these options, as long as they fall within my areas of expertise!

👉Exciting News!✏️ An new stream of learning

👉Exciting News!✏️
An new stream of learning is now being formally offered by Unlocking Childhood: 🌟Pedagogical Partnerships!🌟

✏️What are Pedagogical Partnerships? In a Pedagogical Partnership, I work with a community of learners to complete a long-term Community of Practice series over several months on a specific topic/area of practice.

✏️The Benefits?:
~increased engagement and professional growth
~a greater likelihood of long-term change
~a focus on putting learning-into-practice
~increased accountability
~more opportunities to ask questions, dialogue, troubleshoot, and brainstorm together
~creates a supportive community of learners

👉If you're interested in learning more about Pedagogical Partnerships for your community, contact Mary✏️ at unlockingchildhood@hotmail.com

🔔 The Parent’s Toolkit is available now!🚨

🔔 The Parent’s Toolkit is available now!🚨
This 2 hour session covers some of parents most requested topics, and can be delivered virtually or in-person.
Last week, I delivered this thought-provoking session to over 100 parents, and they asked some great questions like:
How do I become a less strict parent? or
What do I do if several children are fighting over a toy? or
What do I do if my child’s school have practices that don’t align with our expectations at home? …

Working with families is one of my most cherished facets of this work. If you’re interested in this session for your community, reach out to me at unlockingchildhood@hotmail.com 🙂

The County of Renfrew Children’s Services Divisi

The County of Renfrew Children’s Services Division is offering a free virtual session for parents/guardians.

Supporting Children’s Mental Health (and our own!) in Exceptional Times 👩Presented by @unlockingchildhood with Mary Hewitt
🗓When? October 1st at 6pm.
💻Where? Online- you will receive a zoom invite once you registered
❓️How to Register: Click the link in our instagram bio or https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/GpvWDYKxT46r7sS9X9UeQg

Registration is required.
Registration will be open until the time of the event.

👉🏼Session Description: Are you a parent or caregiver who is interested in supporting your child’s well-being? Do you want to relieve some of the pressure and confusion around raising children in these rapidly-changing and complex times? In this session, we will explore what it means for children to be truly ‘well’ in today’s world—and the practical strategies and approaches you can use to help them get there. We will also learn what makes us truly ‘well’—beyond over-generalized concepts of “self-care”—which can often feel unrealistic and only add to our never-ending ‘to do’ lists. In the end, you will leave this session feeling empowered and ready to make impactful changes that will enhance well-being for you and your entire family!

Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 Unlocking Childhood · Theme by 17th Avenue