#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
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· June 5, 2019

Let’s Work Together!

My Unique Approach…

I understand that professional learning and consulting is as much about ‘having all of the best information’ as it is to connect on a real, human-level. My mission is to thoughtfully weave together left-brain (logical & analytical) and right-brain (creativity & intuition) modalities to ensure my audiences are empowered with the forefront, research-validated knowledge AND a deeper “inner-knowing” about their practice.

See My Full Portfolio of Sessions Below:


Are you interested in booking a free consultation? If so, please contact me at: [email protected]
Together, we can curate a one-of-a-kind offering for your organization or community!
And, Follow Along:
Join me on Facebook!
Join me on Instagram!
Check out my Yellow Chair Chats!

PORTFOLIO/MENU OF MARY’S SESSIONSDownload


You can also reach Mary using the form below:


“Listening to Mary is like sitting down with your best friend, in a safe space, to have a conversation that is deep and reflective. Thank you, Mary!”

Linda Magill, RECE Inclusion Coordinator

“Mary captivated the audience from start to finish and left a lasting impression on everyone in the room. Mary’s contributions have helped shape how we approach our work, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with her in the future!”

Margo Smith,
Manager of Children’s Services

“The sessions you led did more than just deepen our knowledge…I now feel more aligned, confident, and intentional in my role!“

Carole Metivier, Child Care Centre Supervisor

👉 Big News!
Mary was honoured to be selected as a Speaker for
NAEYC’s Annual 2025 Conference in Orlando to speak on the topic of
Trauma-Informed Care in ECE!

I’ve Been Published In✏️ :

Some Organizations I’ve Worked With So Far :

MEET MARY…

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 480+ 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.

#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

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