The real risk isn’t that we won’t understand what a child is doing. It’s that we’ll step in too soon and stop it. Learn more about Intrinsic Motivation and ways you can support it.

My son rarely has meltdowns. Instead, he goes quiet. He internalizes his sadness in ways that are far harder for me to witness than any outburst. This is a reflection on raising a deeply sensitive little boy, on the moments that feel small to adults but enormous to children, and on the work of creating a space where all emotions—especially the quiet ones—are welcome.