Vt. childhood behavior specialist takes on sibling dynamics in new book

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) - A new children’s book from a Vermont author aims to help growing families navigate some complex feelings.

It’s called “Little Siblings, Big Feelings.” Its author, childhood behavior specialist Maya Burr, says the topic of sibling dynamics comes up constantly from the families who consult her for help. But it wasn’t until she had her second child and she was looking for books to help kids with strategies for managing their feelings, that she realized there weren’t many dealing with that specifically.

“Children in early childhood do not have those important self-regulation skills because their prefrontal cortex -- the part of the brain that’s responsible for self-regulation and impulse control -- is under construction. And so we need to be offering children scripts and strategies to say, I need some space to think before they act out when a sibling maybe gets in their space or is trying to play with them,” Burr said.

Among the strategies in the book -- a breathing exercise to help calm children down.

You can find the book on her website. She’s hoping local retailers will also carry it.

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