The Bloom Room: An Early Childhood Podcast

A few weeks ago, I shared a post on Instagram that struck a nerve by giving voice to something many of us had been quietly carrying: the feeling that something isn't sitting right in education right now (check out the post here).

In this opening episode of The Bigger Than Behaviour Series, I unpack the thoughts, questions, and grief that inspired the series in the first place. I ponder what happens when children, families, educators, and leaders are all struggling, but we're too busy pointing fingers to see the bigger picture.

You'll hear:
✨ Why labelling my feelings as grief allowed me to get a good sense of the tension I'm carrying
✨ The blame cycle that keeps showing up in conversations about children, families, educators, and schools
✨ Why behaviour has never felt simple enough to be explained by a single cause
✨ What happens when children's circumstances change, but our systems don't
✨ The question I can't stop asking: is the education system stuck?
✨ Why I haven't yet reached the point of sheer hopelessness

This episode is a little different from my usual content. It's personal, vulnerable, and probably raises more questions than it answers. If you've ever found yourself wondering whether it's just you, whether anyone else is carrying these thoughts, or whether education feels harder than it used to, I think you'll find yourself in this conversation.

Want to know how to respond to baffling behaviours better? Click here to download my free guide with 45 behaviour scripts inside!

Let's Connect!
Join me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au

Warm authority isn’t about controlling children - and it’s not about “letting them get away with things” either.
In the final episode for Season 4, I dig into one of the most misunderstood aspects of behaviour support: what it means to hold your authority without slipping into power-over or permissiveness. This is the episode I wish every educator and assistant could hear before heading into a new year.
You’ll hear:
✨ The critical difference between discipline and punishment
✨ Why high warmth and high expectations is the sweet spot for behaviour support
✨ The expectation gap: how unrealistic adult expectations derail connection
✨ What warm authority actually sounds and looks like in real moments
✨ How to lead with swagger (without threats, bribes, or giving in)
This one is packed with powerful mindset shifts, real-life scripts, and supportive scaffolding. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck between being too soft or too strict, this is your roadmap back to confident, calm leadership.

Want to know how to respond to baffling behaviours better? Click here to download my free guide with 45 behaviour scripts inside!

Let's Connect!
Join me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au

Just because a child is included doesn’t mean they feel they belong.
In this powerful episode, I dig into what belonging actually looks and feels like for children - beyond the buzzword, the policies, and the Pinterest-perfect classroom. Drawing on compelling Australian research and real-world reflection, I unpack the difference between showing up and feeling held, and how our beliefs and biases shape belonging more than we realise.
You’ll hear:
🤝 How children define belonging - and what helps them feel like they belong
🤝 The everyday language, routines and rituals that quietly send the message “you matter here”
🤝 How to navigate a child’s sense of belonging when you’re not feeling connected to them
🤝 How your inner stories about “challenging” behaviour can shape who feels worthy of belonging
🤝 6 tangible ways to bring belonging to life through environment, identity, rituals, and relationship
If you’re someone who wants to move from saying belonging matters to making it matter, this one’s for you.

Articles
Belonging in their words: Exploring early childhood perspectives using the draw, write, tell method
Starting school in Australia: What gives young children a sense of school belonging?

Want to know how to respond to baffling behaviours better? Click here to download my free guide with 45 behaviour scripts inside!

Let's Connect!
Join me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au

What if the most powerful co-regulation tool in your room didn’t cost a cent?
Music has always mattered - and in early learning, it’s more than fun; it’s nervous system work. It’s behaviour support. It’s belonging in action.
In this episode, I unpack the neuroscience, research and real-world power of music in early childhood settings and why it's one of the most under-utilised wellbeing tools we have.
You’ll hear:
🎵 How music regulates the nervous system, even before words do
🎵 What the research says about music and social-emotional learning
🎵 Simple, spontaneous ways to embed music into your daily practice
🎵 How music supports identity, agency and rights-based participation
🎵 Practical musical cues, rhythms and reflection ideas to try tomorrow
This episode is for you if you’ve ever felt like your days are chaotic, transitions are tricky, or you want to do more behaviour support without raising your voice. It's also for you if you’re curious about how music can support inclusion, belonging, and the emotional development of every child - especially those who don’t yet have the words.

Want to know how to respond to baffling behaviours better? Click here to download my free guide with 45 behaviour scripts inside!

Let's Connect!
Join me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au

Stickers. Marble jars. Token systems. Oh my!
They're everywhere in early childhood - and for good reason. Rewards often work - but what are they really teaching children? And what if we’re using them in ways that create more problems down the track?
In this episode, I unpack the biggest myths about rewards and give you six practical, research-aligned ways to use them without crushing motivation, connection, or community.
You’ll hear:
🪄The problem with how rewards are often studied (and what’s missing from the data).
🪄Three myths about rewards that just won’t die (and why they’re so sticky).
🪄 Six practical ways to use rewards well, without relying on bribes or behaviour scripts.
🪄The difference between “supporting behaviour” and “controlling it.”
🪄 Why praise matters and how to use it to build self-worth, not just win approval.
Whether you’re pro, anti, or somewhere in the murky middle, this episode will give you clarity and confidence to use rewards with intention; not just habit.

Helpful links
Download my free guide Navigating Rewards When You’re Expected to Use Reward Systems
Purchase my Behaviour Bites guide More Than “Good Job”: A Practical Guide to Praise That Builds Lifelong Learners

Want to know how to respond to baffling behaviours better? Click here to download my free guide with 45 behaviour scripts inside!

Let's Connect!
Join me on Instagram @littlebloom.consultancy
Visit my website www.littlebloomconsultancy.com.au