The Butterfly Effect

10/02/2026

When words are hard, play becomes the language.
This is how play therapy helps children be heard.

04/02/2026

You don’t need to get everything right.

Children don’t need perfect responses.
They need consistency, repair, and a safe adult who keeps showing up.

The moments that matter most aren’t the flawless ones —
they’re the steady, ordinary ones where connection is still there.

If today felt hard, that doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
It means you’re human.

02/02/2026

3 things we’re watching more and more with the children we support…

1️⃣ Growing overwhelm that shows up as behaviour
2️⃣ Big emotions with very little language to express them
3️⃣ A deep need for safety before learning can happen

When we slow down and really observe, behaviour starts to make sense.

Support doesn’t start with fixing.
It starts with understanding.

01/02/2026

International Play Therapy Week
February 1–7

This week we recognise and celebrate the transformative power of play therapy.

Play is a child’s natural language. Through play, children are able to express experiences, emotions, worries and strengths in ways that words alone often can’t capture. Play therapy provides a safe, respectful space where children can explore their inner world, build emotional understanding, and develop resilience.

Across the world, therapists, families and educators are reflecting on the importance of play-based approaches in supporting children’s wellbeing. Play is not simply an activity — it is a meaningful, therapeutic process that supports regulation, connection and growth.

This week is an opportunity to highlight:

the importance of play in emotional development

the value of child-centred, relationship-based support

the depth, insight and courage children show through play

Play meets children where they are — and helps them move forward at their own pace.



This week, we recognise and celebrate the transformative power of play therapy.

01/02/2026

Homework battles aren’t about motivation.
They’re about a nervous system that’s had enough.

Before more reminders, rewards or consequences, try brain-friendly tweaks:

✨ shorter chunks
✨ movement breaks
✨ choice and flexibility
✨ connection before correction

When a child feels safe, regulated and understood, learning comes back online.

You’re not failing.
Your child isn’t lazy.
Their brain is just asking for support — not pressure.

28/01/2026

If you’re wondering whether things are improving — look closer.
Shorter meltdowns.
More repair.
A willingness to try again.
That is progress.

27/01/2026

What a fantastic experience this is!

This Sunday 1 February between 9-10am, Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson invite persons with sensory sensitivity or disability to an expansive, multi-sensory journey that engages your sense of perception. Choose your path through a primordial landscape, encounter moments that heighten awareness and envision the future form of our city.

🎟️ Tickets: https://buff.ly/QoQq204

- This session will be quieter without the usual crowds.
- Volumes will be lowers and high sensory exhibits will be signposted.
- Announcements over the PA system will be paused.
- A floor plan and sensory guide will be available.
- A calm room will be available from 9am-5pm.
- Sensory kits (including self-regulation resources and ear muffs) will be available on the day, free of charge.

Please note: this activation is not affiliated with AQ. Please direct all questions to event organisers at GOMA.

27/01/2026

“How was your day?” often gets a shrug — not because children don’t want to share, but because their brains are tired.

After a full day of learning, socialising and self-regulating, many children don’t yet have the words ready. What they need first is safety, time, and connection — not interrogation.

Try questions that invite experience, not performance.

Slower. Softer. More curious.

When children feel understood, sharing follows naturally.

27/01/2026

TV, games and videos give the brain a fast dopamine hit.
It feels good instantly — but the brain quickly learns to expect it.

With repeated screen-based dopamine, everyday things like play, homework, conversation and creativity can start to feel harder or less rewarding.

This isn’t about blame or banning screens.
It’s about understanding how children’s brains adapt — and why slowing things down matters.

When we protect time for play, movement, connection and boredom, we help the brain build resilience, focus and emotional regulation.

27/01/2026

The first weeks back at school aren’t about behaviour.

They’re about adjustment.

New routines. New expectations. New demands on nervous systems.

Progress looks like settling, repairing, and slowly finding rhythm again.

18/01/2026

A calm presence makes a difference 🐾

For many children, feeling safe comes before talking, learning, or engaging.

A therapy dog offers quiet companionship, predictable responses, and gentle connection — all of which help calm busy nervous systems. Simply being near a therapy dog can lower anxiety, support emotional regulation, and make therapy feel less overwhelming.

We often see children open up more naturally, stay engaged for longer, and feel braver knowing there’s a steady, non-judgmental friend nearby.

At The Butterfly Effect Sunshine Coast, our therapy dog is part of creating a warm, supportive space where children can settle, connect, and grow at their own pace.

17/01/2026

Parenting neurodivergent young people can feel exhausting and unseen.

Small, steady responses build safety — even when progress is quiet.

You’re doing more right than you think.