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Toddler Toolkit

Toddler Toolkit

By: Heather Schalk M.Ed.
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 The complete toolkit for understanding toddler behavior (e.g. hitting, throwing, biting, pushing), navigating tantrums and meltdowns, fostering healthy sibling relationships and dynamics so your kids can get along and raising skilled resilient self-regulated toddlers. If you have toddlers that are close in age or multiple kids then this podcast is made for you! Heather helps parents transform their aggressive toddlers behavior into a calm, kind and caring toddler with a more peaceful and joyful home. Heather is the Founder of Heather Schalk Parenting, a Twin Mama, Toddler Toolkit Podcast Host, Teacher for 10 years (pre-k through 9th grade), specialization in behavior, with her M.Ed. Heather's passion is helping moms of toddlers who have disruptive tantrums develop proactive and 'in the moment' strategies to Transform their toddlers disruptive tantrums, aggressive ‘button-pushing’ behavior into a Calm, Kind and Caring Toddler so you have a joyful family and enjoy motherhood. Next Toddler Mom Cohort to Transform Aggressive Toddler Behavior taught by Heather is in September 2024!© 2026 Heather Schalk, M.Ed. Parenting & Families Relationships
Episodes
  • Why 'Doing More' Is Backfiring With Your Toddler w/ Ashley Ventrice

    Why 'Doing More' Is Backfiring With Your Toddler w/ Ashley Ventrice
    Feb 23 2026
    Why 'Doing More' Is Backfiring With Your Toddler w/ Ashley VentriceFollow Ashley Ventrice:Instagram: @ashleyvetnricecoAshley on FacebookAshley Ventrice Show (podcast)Watch us Chat for the Podcast Interviews with YouTube Video HERE! In this episode of the Toddler Toolkit podcast, Heather talks with Ashley Ventrice, a parent, educator, and host of The Ashley Ventrice Show, about how nervous system safety and emotional regulation start with the adults. Ashley shares how she built a childcare center designed for both toddlers and parents, including structured play, sensory learning, predictable routines, soft separation for preschool transitions, and a space where parents could stay, connect, and even watch the classroom via live stream. They discuss simple ways to recreate a calmer play setup at home with a designated play area, toy rotation, and more open-ended play options versus closed-ended toys. Ashley also shares her health journey after years of over-functioning and people-pleasing, including being gaslit by doctors, pushing for brain and spine MRIs, learning she had a 9mm lesion on her brainstem, and how serious autoimmune illness forced her to slow down, advocate for herself, and set boundaries. The conversation covers why routine and predictability help both kids and adults, how over-scheduling can stress the whole family, how social media comparison can add pressure, and why parent community matters. Ashley emphasizes modeling emotional regulation for kids by naming feelings, noticing body signals like anxiety, taking deep breaths out loud, and teaching emotional intelligence early. She closes with a message for exhausted moms: rest is allowed, a regulated parent matters more than a perfectly structured day, and listening to your body before it has to scream helps you stay present for your children.00:00 The Over-Functioner Wake-Up Call: Slow Down Before Your Body Screams01:00 Welcome + Meet Ashley Ventres (Nervous System, Regulation & Boundaries)02:52 Inside Ashley’s Childcare Center: Designing Nervous-System Safety for Kids & Parents06:43 Sensory Play & Space Setup: Montessori-Inspired Zones That Help Toddlers Regulate08:10 Recreate the Calm at Home: Toy Rotation + Open-Ended Play Tips11:15 Ashley’s Health Journey: Autoimmune Illness, Medical Gaslighting & Self-Advocacy15:31 Learning to Rest + Set Boundaries (and Handling the Pushback)19:14 Modeling Regulation: Teaching Toddlers Emotional Literacy, Anxiety & Coping Skills23:47 Routines for Everyone: Predictability, Over-Scheduling & Slowing Family Life Down27:32 Comparison, Community & Mom Connection: You’re Not Alone31:04 Final Message: A Regulated Mom Matters More Than a Perfect Day + Where to Find Ashley------------------------------------------------------"If you’re struggling with toddler tantrums and behaviors like hitting & not listening... I have a free guide for you! It’s called The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them Fast—It's HERE!Watch us Chat for the Podcast Interviews with YouTube Video HERE!Heather has her M.Ed, and a proud Twin Mama of busy toddlers. She's the Toddler Toolkit Podcast Host, a co-author of the #1 International Best Selling Book, The Perfectly Imperfect Family & the founder of the Calm Superpower Cohort. You might've tried advice tailored for one child, but that's not our journey, right? With a decade of teaching experience under her belt, she's seen it all – from toddlers to teenagers in the classroom. Now, as a parent to toddlers, she's experiencing the flip side of the coin. She's discovered a toolbox to help parents with everything toddler times two!Let's unlock the secrets to understanding toddler behavior, preventing meltdowns, and raising intuitive, resilient children.Grab The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them FastCheck out the Transform Tantrums: A Listening Toddler In 7 Days mini-course!Join the Toddler Mom CommunityFollow me on Instagram @heatherschalkparentingWatch the YouTube channelCheck out the blog
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    33 mins
  • Before You Call Them a Bully: What’s Really Happening in Sibling & Friend Power Struggles

    Before You Call Them a Bully: What’s Really Happening in Sibling & Friend Power Struggles
    Feb 16 2026
    Before You Call Them a Bully: What’s Really Happening in Sibling & Friend Power StrugglesThis episode is part of a 4 Part Valentine's Series! Click the link below to listen 🎧🎧 Episode 1 — Why Siblings and Friends Spiral Faster Together (It's not Bad Behavior)🎧 Episode 2 — Which Role Does Your Child Fall Into? (It’s Not What You Think)🎧 Episode 3 — When Play Makes Things Worse: Protecting Your Child Without Breaking Connection 🎧 Episode 4 — Before You Call Them a Bully: What’s Really Happening in Sibling & Friend Power Struggles(this episode)🎉New YouTube Channel🎉: @TheHeatherSchalk"If you’re struggling with toddler tantrums and behaviors like hitting & not listening... I have a free guide for you! It’s called The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them Fast—It's HERE!In this episode, we discuss misunderstood child behaviors, focusing on 'the bully.' Learn how kids' roles in sibling and peer dynamics are actually nervous system strategies. Explore how behaviors like screaming, grabbing, and having meltdowns are survival responses, often misinterpreted as mere bad behavior.I break down how roles like the rule keeper, attention seeker, fixer, and attuner interact and how pressure from these roles can cause a defending child to react strongly ('The Defender'). This episode is a deep dive into understanding the root causes behind what we see as problematic behavior, offering insights into improving relationships and emotional regulation.00:00 Introduction to Relationship Dynamics00:15 Understanding the 'Bully' Label00:33 Nervous System Strategies in Children01:07 Common Behavioral Responses01:36 Series Recap and Episode Overview02:42 The Role of the Defender04:12 Attention Seekers and Defenders05:59 Fixers and Defenders06:56 Attune Children and Defenders09:27 Misinterpretations and Manipulation10:52 Emotional Reactions and Adult Responses14:47 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events------------------------------------------------------"If you’re struggling with toddler tantrums and behaviors like hitting & not listening... I have a free guide for you! It’s called The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them Fast—It's HERE!Watch us Chat for the Podcast Interviews with YouTube Video HERE!Heather has her M.Ed, and a proud Twin Mama of busy toddlers. She's the Toddler Toolkit Podcast Host, a co-author of the #1 International Best Selling Book, The Perfectly Imperfect Family & the founder of the Happy Toddler, Confident Parent Cohort and Course. You might've tried advice tailored for one child, but that's not our journey, right? With a decade of teaching experience under her belt, she's seen it all – from toddlers to teenagers in the classroom. Now, as a parent to toddlers, she's experiencing the flip side of the coin. She's discovered a toolbox to help parents with everything toddler times two!Let's unlock the secrets to understanding toddler behavior, preventing meltdowns, and raising intuitive, resilient children.Grab The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them FastCheck out the Transform Tantrums: A Listening Toddler In 7 Days mini-course!Join the Toddler Mom CommunityFollow me on Instagram @heatherschalkparentingWatch the YouTube channelCheck out the blog
    Show More Show Less
    17 mins
  • When Play Makes Things Worse: Protecting Your Child Without Breaking Connection

    When Play Makes Things Worse: Protecting Your Child Without Breaking Connection
    Feb 9 2026
    When Play Makes Things Worse: Protecting Your Child Without Breaking Connection | Toddler Toolkit PodcastThis episode is part of a 4 Part Valentine's Series!Episodes to be linked soon!🎧 Episode 1 — Why Siblings and Friends Spiral Faster Together (It's not Bad Behavior)🎧 Episode 2 — Which Role Does Your Child Fall Into? (It’s Not What You Think)🎧 Episode 3 — When Play Makes Things Worse: Protecting Your Child Without Breaking Connection (this episode)🎧 Episode 4 — Not a Bully (The moment everyone misreads)(coming soon!)🎉New YouTube Channel🎉: @TheHeatherSchalk"If you’re struggling with toddler tantrums and behaviors like hitting & not listening... I have a free guide for you! It’s called The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them Fast—It's HERE!In this episode, we talk about finding a balance in your child's social interactions. Learn how to protect your child's nervous system without cutting out friends or hurting sibling relationships.We discuss practical strategies like setting playtime boundaries, planning recovery time, and intervening when necessary. We also delve into understanding different social dynamics and teaching children self-advocacy. Join us for tips on maintaining healthy, supportive relationships for your child's long-term well-being.00:00 Introduction: Balancing Time and Relationships01:08 Reframing Protection: Leadership, Not Rejection01:57 Understanding Nervous System Capacity02:56 Containment Strategies for Healthy Relationships03:22 When to Step In: The Role of Parental Leadership04:43 Avoiding Power Struggles Among Children05:49 Reframing the Problem Child Narrative07:23 The Importance of Recovery Time08:03 Respecting Boundaries: Avoiding Forced Closeness11:45 Teaching Self-Advocacy and Social Skills12:43 Conclusion: Building Safe and Healthy Relationships13:15 Upcoming Episodes and Resources------------------------------------------------------"If you’re struggling with toddler tantrums and behaviors like hitting & not listening... I have a free guide for you! It’s called The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them Fast—It's HERE!Watch us Chat for the Podcast Interviews with YouTube Video HERE!Heather has her M.Ed, and a proud Twin Mama of busy toddlers. She's the Toddler Toolkit Podcast Host, a co-author of the #1 International Best Selling Book, The Perfectly Imperfect Family & the founder of the Happy Toddler, Confident Parent Cohort and Course. You might've tried advice tailored for one child, but that's not our journey, right? With a decade of teaching experience under her belt, she's seen it all – from toddlers to teenagers in the classroom. Now, as a parent to toddlers, she's experiencing the flip side of the coin. She's discovered a toolbox to help parents with everything toddler times two!Let's unlock the secrets to understanding toddler behavior, preventing meltdowns, and raising intuitive, resilient children.Grab The Tantrum and Behavior Guide: 7 Toddler Struggles and How to Solve Them FastCheck out the Transform Tantrums: A Listening Toddler In 7 Days mini-course!Join the Toddler Mom CommunityFollow me on Instagram @heatherschalkparentingWatch the YouTube channelCheck out the blog
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
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