Understand what's happening in meltdowns, clingy moments and defiance, so you're better able to choose how you respond.
Created by Emma Reed, NCPS Accredited Counsellor and Parent Coach
Maybe it's in the supermarket. You turn away for a box of cereal and hear a sudden howl behind you.
Or bedtime. You've read the book, given the cuddles and are almost downstairs when they say “Mum, don't go.”
Or you've asked your child to turn off the TV and come and do their homework, but they refuse. “No. I'm watching my show.”
You probably already know how you want to be with your children.
But they're suddenly screaming, clinging, or refusing to do something that really does need doing. And you're tired, with a list of chores, an urgent email from school, and you were only asking your child to do something very ordinary.
Sometimes you just react before you've really had time to understand what happened. Then later, when everything has settled, you think:
Why did I react like that?
What was I supposed to do instead?
That's where Soften The Storm begins.
Practical support for hard parenting moments
HOW IT WORKS
Understand what's happening before deciding what to do
Soften The Storm takes three common parenting flashpoints, meltdowns, clinginess and defiance, and slows them down.
You'll look at what's happening for your child, what happens in you in response, and what might actually help.
I'll show you what to look out for, help you make sense of what you're seeing, and give you practical ways you can respond.
So when something difficult happens, you have more to work with than your first automatic reaction.
WHAT THIS DOES
The difficult moments can start to feel different
Your child may still scream in the supermarket. They may still want you to stay at bedtime when you've had enough for the day. They may still glare at you and say, “No.”
But instead of immediately getting swept up in the emotions and reacting before you've realised what's happening, you begin to recognise more of what's going on.
You might realise your child doesn't need you to stop their crying. They need you to stay close while they cry.
You might decide that tonight, you're going to stay beside them for another ten minutes, and do it willingly rather than spending those ten minutes wishing you could leave.
Or you might realise that however angry your child is about turning off the TV, the answer is still no.
Understanding doesn't decide the response for you.
It helps you respond with more clarity about why you're choosing it.
And when you do get it wrong, you'll also learn how to come back and repair afterwards.
INSIDE SOFTEN THE STORM
Soften The Storm includes three practical lessons, each around 12–15 minutes long, plus a short welcome and closing video.
1. MELTDOWNS
When Your Child Screaming Feels Like a Siren
Understand why your child's distress can create such urgency in you, and how to tell the difference between something that needs immediate action and a huge feeling that needs your steady presence.
You'll also learn practical ways to slow things down, stay alongside your child when explanations aren't helping, and repair when things spill over.
2. CLINGINESS
The Gravity of Love
Explore what happens when your child's need for closeness meets your real need for space.
You'll look at how to stay connected without assuming that connection always means saying yes, and how to make more deliberate choices about what you can genuinely offer.
3. DEFIANCE
When They Push Back
Understand what's happening when your child pushes back, and why their refusal can sometimes provoke such a strong reaction in you.
You'll look at what actually needs addressing, what else might be getting pulled into the conflict, and how you can hold a limit without automatically turning the moment into a battle
YOU'LL ALSO GET
A printable reflection workbook to help you apply what you're learning to your own family, practical examples you can use or adapt, guidance on repair after difficult moments, and lifetime access to return whenever you need it.
WHO THIS IS FOR
Soften the Storm is for you if...
You think carefully about how you want to parent, but sometimes find yourself shouting, rushing, giving in, or reacting in ways you wish you hadn't.
You replay difficult moments afterwards, wondering what happened and what you could have done differently.
You want practical guidance that helps you understand both your child and yourself, rather than another set of rules about the right way to parent.
WHAT MUMS SAY
"I used to dread the screaming because I knew I would lose it too. After watching the first video, I realised what was happening inside me. The next meltdown didn't disappear, but I didn't make it worse either."
— Mum of two, ages 2 and 4
“The section on defiance changed everything for me.
I stopped taking ‘No’ as disrespect and started seeing what was underneath it.
I still hold the boundary. but I don’t feel at war anymore.”
— Mum of 4 year old
“It wasn’t about becoming calmer overnight.
It was about understanding what to look for.
That gave me confidence.”
— Mum of three
WHO AM I?
Hi, I'm Emma.
I'm an NCPS Accredited Psychotherapeutic Counsellor, parent coach and mum.
I've spent over ten years working alongside mums and families, helping them make sense of the moments that can knock parenting sideways. The meltdowns, conflict, overwhelm, guilt, and the times when you simply don't know what to do next.
My work draws on psychodynamic, person-centred and solutions-focused approaches, alongside my experience of working directly with more than 300 families. Soften The Storm brings that experience into a short, practical course you can use in your own family.
I'll help you notice more of what's happening, understand what you're seeing, and consider practical ways forward.
Because the aim isn't for you to learn how I would parent your child. It's for you to feel increasingly confident parenting them yourself.
SOFTEN THE STORM – £97
WHAT YOU'LL RECEIVE
Five short videos
Three practical lessons covering meltdowns, clinginess and defiance
A printable reflection workbook
Practical examples and ways to respond
Guidance on what to do when things go wrong
Lifetime access
SUPPORT FIRST GUARANTEE
If you get stuck, you can ask me
Sometimes you can understand something perfectly well in a lesson and still think:
Yes, but what about what happened with my child?
If you're stuck, unsure how something applies to your family, or you've tried what you've learned and don't know what to do next, email me. I'll send you a personal voice note to help you think through what's happening and what you could try next.
And if you've given the course a fair try and still don't feel it's helped, let me know and I'll refund you.
I'd rather help you use what you've bought than leave you sitting there wondering what you're supposed to do with it.
Dream Your Future Families CIC 2026
DYF Parents is a trading name of Dream Your Future Families CIC, a registered Community Interest Company (No. 11882255)