Claire Lerner

I am a licensed clinical social worker with more than three decades of experience in education and direct practice with families and young children in a range of settings: schools, pediatrics, and via home visits. I partner with parents to help them solve their most vexing childrearing challenges by guiding them through the detective work to decode the meaning of their children’s behavior. Together, we identify the root cause of the problems parents are struggling with. This insight enables us to come up with effective strategies that help moms and dads be the loving, connected parent they want to be while setting the limits and boundaries kids need to learn to self-regulate, to build resilience, and to be able to manage life’s expectations, frustrations, and disappointments.

Learn more about me

Services

I partner with parents to help them solve their most vexing childrearing challenges by guiding them through the detective work to decode the meaning of their children’s behavior and get to the true, root cause.

I offer consultation on the full range of challenges families confront in the early years, including: parenting big reactors (highly sensitive children), limit-setting with love, preventing power struggles, opposition/defiance, sleep, mealtime madness, aggression, tantrums, sibling conflict and challenges with peer relationships.
I offer workshops that can be organized for groups of parents and professionals. They span the full range of issues that arise in the early years
In order to see a child's behavior in action, I observe children both at home and school. I also review reams of audio and video recordings parents share of their challenging moments with their children. This enables me to help parents and teachers develop strategies that meets them in their reality.
I provide consultation to early childhood education and elementary school staff to help identify the root cause of challenges in their classrooms. This includes working collaboratively with families whose children are struggling to find solutions to help kids thrive at school.

About my services

“We learned through our potty training sessions that by giving our son 'two good choices' without letting on that we were invested in the outcome, he was regularly using the potty at home within a matter of weeks. This approach has also helped in other areas - getting dressed, mealtimes & bathtime. It’s working great—a whole new world!”

- Parents of a 5-year old
“We began working with Claire when my oldest daughter was just two years old. Now a family of five, she has guided us through early childhood parenting and continues to advise as we move towards adolescent issues. Claire’s tactics changed us from ‘reactive’ parents, to more understanding, patient, and in control parents.”

– Parents of 3 girls under 5
“Our son was displaying highly emotional, and sometimes aggressive, behaviors over everyday setbacks. Through sessions with Claire, we understood that our son was completely normal - but that the issue was with how we were responding to him. Our own emotional reactions were like gas on a fire. We offered him “two great choices,” and removed the passionate responses…understanding our son’s temperament was really valuable. Thank you for the tools you shared with us.”

- Parent of 4-year-old
I just came across your work as I was trying to better understand my highly-sensitive 4yo. He is the sweetest boy with the biggest heart, but it just shatters so easily... Tonight it was because a bandaid came off in the bath 🥺 Thank you for sharing your work with the world, you have changed mine. 🙏🏻

- Parent of a 4-year-old

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The Blog

My blog is based on three decades of experience working with thousands of families in the trenches. I started it in 2018 to provide content that goes beyond quick fixes, one-size-fits-all advice and surface-level solutions for parents who may never have the opportunity to work directly with a child development specialist.

Each blog decodes the meaning of children’s challenging behaviors and provides detailed descriptions of the practical strategies that help families resolve these challenges in loving, effective ways. There are no one-size-fits-all answers. These blogs provide a roadmap that helps parents apply key principles and strategies to their own, unique child and families.

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