At school and home, the tension was rising. 

Kim found that every small frustration quickly escalated into an angry outburst.

Life was becoming increasingly difficult as Hailey also started displaying other concerning behaviours, including extreme fussiness with food, tears and clinginess during school drop-offs, and Hailey regularly wanted to sleep with her mum. 

“I didn’t know what to do. We were arguing all the time and I felt like I was failing as a parent. I desperately needed some help and was willing to do anything to see Hailey smile and enjoy life again”, says Kim. 

A welcomed turning point.

The Tuning in to Kids™ programme emerged as a beacon of hope. Kim developed a greater understanding of her daughter’s emotional experiences and gained a new awareness of her own communication style.

In weeks, Kim noticed that the techniques she had learned were working. The dreaded task of doing Hailey’s hair remained a daily struggle, but Kim’s changed response helped to validate Hailey’s feelings, so she felt heard and could move past her frustration. “I can see you’re upset Hailey, is there a new style you would like me to do for you today?”.

The hair was plaited, and they were out the door without the usual standoff, a vastly different outcome from their previous mornings. The programme helped Kim to better manage these challenging moments. Kim’s response was filled with empathy, rather than stress. Tears still fell, but the atmosphere shifted. 

“It was wonderful to hear how Kim connects with Hailey and is now working with her to label her emotions. Their relationship is closer and stronger than before”, said our kaimahi (staff). The simple act of validating and labelling emotions fostered a new level of trust. In the end, the Tuning in to Kids™ programme marked the beginning of a much happier relationship between Kim and Hailey.

* Names and images have been changed to protect people’s privacy.