Craig Knippenberg • Knippenberg, Patterson, Langley and Associates

10/26/2026

I came across a great article this week on co-regulation, and I wanted to pass it along!

Kids are not born knowing how to calm themselves dwon. They learn it by being calmed down, over and over, by an adult who can stay steady while they fall apart. Every time you sit beside a screaming toddler (or a slammed-door teenager) and keep your own nervous system settled, you're literally building the wiring they'll use for the rest of their lives.

The catch? You cannot co-regulate your child if you can't regulate yourself. So before the "what do I do about my kid" question, there's a "what do I do about me" question. A few ideas I've liked most:
- Check your own emotional thermometer before you respond (not after)
Take a physical step back. The pause is where the good parenting happens.
Lead with "and" instead of "but." "I seey ou want that AND you need to ask first."
Forgive yourself when you lose it. The repair afterward teaches more than the blowup costs.

Comfort first, correction section.

Your 2-year-old child is lying on the floor of a grocery store screaming because you refused him his favourite cereal. Your face grows hot, your heart pounds. You feel your own frustration rising like a wave. What happens next matters more than you think. In that moment, your child is not being

10/20/2026

A mom told me last spring that her son came home from Connect and told her he finally figured out how to join a group at recess.

He'd been standing at the edge of the playground for two years.

That's the entire point of our Connect Groups.

Social confidence isn't something you can explain to a kid. They have to learn by doing, with other kids, in a space where mistakes are expected and nobody gets shamed for them.

I have been running these groups for decades and still get a kick out of watching a kid walk in guarded in October, then walk out in May with a friend's phone number.

Curious? Reach out here or directly at [email protected]

Connect Groups are:
- Weekly 90-minute groups October through May on the school calendar.
- Grouped by age so they can practice peer-to-peer
- Include a no-cost initial consultation to find the right fit!

10/15/2026

Parents - have you ever found yourself googling "is this normal" at 11:00pm after bedtime?

Reaching out for individual therapy for your child isn't an admission that something is wrong with them (or you). It's recognizing that your kid's brain is doing its best with the writing it has, and sometimes that wiring needs a translator.

That's what we do! Our therapists work one-on-one with children, teens and young adults, with a particular focus on kids who are neuro-exceptional and have learning differences with emotional regulation. We start with the brain, not the behavior, and we never work from a place of shame.

If something in your gut has been saying, "I think we need some help," I'd love to make that call easier. Send me a message or reach out through the website below and we can talk about what a first session would look like.

Social skills groups, ADHD & autism testing, and counseling for children, teens, and families. Serving Denver and Littleton, Colorado since 1986.

10/12/2026

The case for "good enough" parenting. A wonderful article from Motherly® that strongly aligns with my own principals.

It's a great read to start your week!

Why “good enough” parenting is having a moment—and what pediatrician Dr. Mona Amin wants burned-out families to know.

10/08/2026

The most common thing I hear from parents in my office isn't about their kids, but about themselves.

"I feel like I'm failing."

So let me say what I say in my book "Shame-Free Parenting": you were never supposed to be perfect.

Kids don't need perfect. They need a parent who's present, regulated and willing to repair when things go wrong. That's good-enough parenting and it's the best parenting there is.

Parent coaching is where we make that practical in a few focused sessions, we tackle things like:

- Setting limits on screens without the nightly war
- Getting on the same page as your partner (or co-parent)
- Understanding why your child's brain does what it does
- Power struggles with teens, and how to stop feeding them
- Building your own stamina so you're not running on fumes

You don't need a diagnosis or crisis to come in. You just need to want it to feel easier.

What's the parenting moment that's been wearing you down lately? Tell me in the comments - and please DM me if you'd like to set up a coaching conversation!

10/05/2026

October is HERE and our school-year Connect Groups kick off this month.

If you've been following along, you know i've spent September talking about The President (the part of the brain that helps kids pause, think and make good calls).

This is the last part of the brain to develop, and it grows through practice. Social skills work the same way.

That's what our Connnect Groups give kids: A steady weekly place to practice with peers at the same stage, guided by a therapist who knows how the social brain works.

Groups meet weekly for 90 minutes October through May at our South Denver and Littleton offices, and they're separated by group:

Grades 1-3
Grades 4-6
Middle School
High School.
Young Adults.

Not sure which group fits? Every enrollment starts with a free consultation, so reach out and we'll help you get started!

Social skills groups, ADHD & autism testing, and counseling for children, teens, and families. Serving Denver and Littleton, Colorado since 1986.

09/30/2026

This month, we've been getting to know "The President." (i.e. your child's brain)

If you've caught my recent clips from "Will You Be My Friend?," you know that's my name for the prefrontal cortex. It's the part of your child's brain that pauses, weighs options, and makes the call. It works alongside the emotional system and the nonverbal "mirror" system to shape how kids show up socially.

Here's what I want most want parents to remember:
- The President is the last part of the brain to mature, still growing into young adulthood.
- Feelings arrive before the President does. That's why kids often react first and reason second.
- Three deep breaths calm the emotional system and give the President a chance to take charge.

None of this is a character flaw. It's a developmental timeline, and we can work with it instead of against it.

If this series has been helpful to you, my book WIRED AND CONNECTED puts it all together, with practical, brain-based toold for helping your child grow socially and emotionally.

You can find it through the link below.

Explore 'Wired and Connected' for child brain development and learn from Craig Knippenberg's about raising kids and their ever-changing brains.

09/27/2026

What does it take to raise a socially healthy kid? I like to think of it as making a Jell-O parfait.

First, you need a solid bowl. That's your structure: rules, routines and discipline at home. It can't have cracks. That bowl is what lets your child develop and mature safely.

Next comes the Jell-O itself, which is love and emotional connection. Nothing matters more for helping a child become a social human being and a contribution member of society.

Then, you add real fun. Get outside with your kids after the school day, on weekends, even in the evenings. An afternoon on an adventure together does more for your relationship than almost anything else.

And the cherry on top is service. Get your kids involved in your community and volunteering alongside you. They'll feel better, the community gets better and all of us become more resilient.

Which layer is easiest in your house right now? Which one takes the most work?

09/24/2026

Ever watch a kid stand in a classroom doorway, frozen, trying to figure out where to sit?

In the two seconds before they choose, their brain is working overtime. Can I hear from back here? Who's already at that table? What happens if I pick wrong and someone gives me that look — or calls me a loser?

That's their mirror neuron system. It's the nonverbal part of the brain that reads faces, gestures and social cues. For a lot of kids, especially the socially awkward ones, this is where the school day actually gets hard.

In the segment below, I break down what's really happening in that moment, and why it matters more than most adults realize.

If this sounds like your kid, Connect Groups kick off in October at KPLA's South Denver and Littleton locations with a free initial consultation.

Please be in touch! We'd love to support.

09/15/2026

Segment 3 of "Will You Be My Friend?": Understanding Your Child's Social Brain through Young Adulthood: the emotional system.

The limbic system is where feelings originate, and those signals move upward toward the prefrontal cortex, the brain's "President." Understanding that sequence explains a lot about why children (and adults) react first and reason second.

It also explains the temperament: some kids are wired optimistic and resilient, others feel the ups and downs more sharply.

The intervention I teach parents, educators and clinicians is deliberately simple. Three deep breaths at the first sign of escalation. It quiets the emotional system fast enough to give the executive brain room to do its job.

Simple tools scale. That's the whole point.

Full series and resources at craigknippenberg.com