What happens when a former speech therapist realizes the “perfect plan” for parenting doesn’t exist—and chooses presence over pressure? We sit down with Carrie Lingenfelter to explore how mindful attention, compassionate language, and simple spiritual practices can transform family life, especially for highly sensitive and neurodiverse kids.

Carrie shares her journey from evidence-first frameworks to heart-led parenting that honors each child’s wiring. We unpack how labels can open doors to support without defining identity, why words like gifted, spirited, and sensitive change a child’s inner story, and how to build a shared family language that spotlights strengths. From quick pre-pickup resets to modeled boundaries that sound like “give me five minutes to recharge,” we offer practical steps that shift the home from reactivity to co-regulation.

You’ll learn kid-friendly energy tools that actually stick: morning “white and gold light” protection, grounding roots into the earth, a simple mantra to keep emotional spillover at bay, and bedtime meditations that release the day’s weight. We talk about helping children become experts of themselves—recognizing when empathy serves and when a clear boundary is the most caring choice. Friendship dynamics, reflective questions, and story-based coaching round out a toolkit that helps sensitive kids navigate loud social worlds with clarity and confidence.

If you’re craving strategies that feel human, doable, and steadying, this conversation offers a path back to calm connection. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs a little extra ease, and leave a review to help more parents find these tools. Your presence is the most powerful practice—start with one small ritual today.

Lindsay Miller is a distinguished kids mindfulness coach, mindfulness educator and host of The Stress Nanny Podcast. She is known for her suitcase tricks and playful laugh. When she's not cheering on her daughter or rollerblading on local trails with her husband, you can find her using her 20+ years of child development study and mindfulness certification to dream up new ways to get kids excited about deep breathing. Having been featured on numerous podcasts, platforms and publications, Lindsay’s words of wisdom are high impact and leave a lasting impression wherever she goes.

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