Parenting a spirited kid isn’t “regular parenting.”
It’s louder.
It’s more emotional.
It’s more exhausting.
And it demands more from you—even on the days you feel like you have nothing left to give.
But what if there was a better way? A community of parents walking this road too? And a coach who could help you decode the chaos into clarity?
Introducing Thriving Together, a comprehensive library created by an expert in Social and Emotional Learning
I am Kirsten Russell, a certified parenting coach with a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Sciences and Psychology, and a master's degree in Education and Social and Emotional Learning.
I have years of experience working with young children in educational and clinical settings.
Most importantly, I am a mom to three lively boys and the honest mom friend who doesn't judge you when your child loses it in public.
But beyond the resume, I understand firsthand the highs, lows, and unpredictability of raising spirited kids.
Intro into Thriving Together
A Sneak Peek Into Thriving Together
- Declutter for School Success: Transforming Your Home Environment
- Smooth Goodbyes: Navigating Easier Separations at Drop-Off (31:05)
- Nurturing Early Teacher-Child and Teacher Parent Relationships
- Creating After-School Success Zones in Your Home (11:19)
- How to Decrease After-School Meltdowns (17:43)
- Supporting ADHD in the Classroom and at Home
- Members Questions Answered (11:19)
- Accommodations Cheat Sheet
- How do I talk to my kids about their grades? (11:52)
- New ADHD Diagnosis? Start Here. (15:58)
- Surviving the Holidays
- Anxiety in Childhood with Kristen McNeely (29:27)
- Navigating Hurtful Words from Kids
- How To Soften Your Reactions To Tricky Behaviors
- What to do when your spirited child gets stuck in a loop of thinking
- Why Chore Charts & Consequences Don’t Work for Spirited Kids (And What to Try Instead)
- Understanding Shame in Spirited Kids
- “Why Is My Kid Copying That?” — When Kids Imitate Behaviors You’d Never Teach at Home
- Parenting Through Meltdowns: Tips for Calm 🧘♀️
- When Your Child Uses Negative Self-Talk or Threatens Self-Harm
- Navigating Parental Preference
- "I'm not going to swim lessons!!!"
- Summer Dysregulation Audio (17:35)
- Printable Routine Charts
- Screen Time Audio (7:58)
- Screen Time Rules
- Independent Play Audio (12:43)
- Boredom Busters Pdf's
- Quiet Time Audio (16:05)
- Quiet Time Guides
- Decrease Sibling Bickering Activity
- How to be a Human Checklist
- Family Chores by Age
- Brain Stretches for younger kids
- Brain Stretches for older kids
- Brain Stretches academic based
- Start Here!
- How Daily Life Creates Dysregulation
- The Neuroscience of Regulation
- Navigating the Window of Tolerance
- The 4 Core Reasons Why You Lose it
- The Mindset Shift that Changes Everything
- Regulation Using Body-Based Strategies
- The Psychological Sigh Somatic Tool
- Orienting Somatic Tool
- Heels Down Grounding Somatic Tool
- Harnessing Gravity Somatic Tool
- Left to Right Eye Sweep Somatic Tool
- Am I Living in a Functional Freeze State?
- Choosing Who You Want to Be.. Even in the Hard
Do You Ever….
1. Wonder why your child is more challenging to parent than their sibling or peers? Do you worry that you might be missing a piece of the puzzle, or want to understand how their brain and nervous system works?
2. Feel burnt out and put yourself last? You know that regulation is important, but don’t know how to feel regulated when the constant demands of parenting feel relentless.
3. Get confused while trying to figure out what your child’s behavior means? Understanding behavior as communication sounds great in theory, but do you wonder exactly what your children’s behavior is trying to tell you?
4. Feel stuck knowing how to teach new skills to your child? You might yell, use consequences, or punish more than building skills to help your child be successful.
Thriving Together Includes
Monthly Content
Every other week, you will be able to access a new piece of content that builds on the previous content. You can listen on the go or sit down and watch, and follow along with the worksheets that will help you hold yourself accountable for change.
Monthly Voxer Support
Ask a quick question or dive deeper on a hard situation—without waiting for a Zoom call.
Like-Minded Community
It can feel isolating to parent a child who is differently wired. This educational community will link you with other parents who are in your shoes, and want to show up for their child in a way that aligns with their values. You will have the ability to ask each other questions, share experiences and connect with other families like yours!
Real talk: Do you ever…
- Wonder why your child is more reactive, intense, or explosive than others?
- Feel stuck between yelling and giving in—and hate both options?
- Try to stay regulated, but the constant demands of parenting leave you wiped?
- Wish there was a roadmap made just for your kind of kid?
You’re not doing it wrong. You’re just parenting a kid who’s wired differently—and that requires a different approach.
TOPICS WE WILL COVER:
- Back to school tips and tricks
- How to understand your child’s temperament
- The 9 temperament traits
- Aspects of highly sensitive kids
- How to set and hold boundaries
- Anxiety & the stress cycle
- Positive parenting strategies for skeptical caregivers
- How to build regulation in yourself, and in your child
- Step-by-step plan to change behavior
- Understanding what your child’s behavior is telling you
- Checklist to problem solving behavior pain points
- The 5 unmet needs that cause challenging behavior
You are in the right place if you want a step-by-step guide on how to show up and parent your spirited child.
Thriving Together is for you if you want to understand your child’s brain, and use research backed strategies that are geared towards these kids.
And, if you want to feel less angry, stressed, or frustrated around your spirited child, you are in the right place.
The Gottman institute discovered that 67% of couples experienced a decline in relationship satisfaction in the first 3 years of their baby's life.
Then add in other stressors to your lives like work, finances, anxiety, loss of your idealized family, loss of who you used to be, exhaustion, sickness, tantrums, medically complex kids, big life decisions… it's no wonder you know you are not feeling your best as a parent.
We can’t parent our best when we don’t feel good. This course isn’t only about quick parenting tips, it's about creating long term changes to your parenting. You matter, your happiness matters.
This educational community will help you feel like a different parent because we are working on the family dyad, not just your child.
