Parenting Skills for Ages 3 - 8

Saturday, 11/8/25
9:30am - 11:00am
In-Person

Transforming Tantrums to Trust: Evidence-Based Parenting Skills for Ages 3-8
With Ashley Boerger, LPC-MHSP

When Morning Battles Become Your Family's Story

You wake up already exhausted, knowing what's coming. The simple request to get dressed will somehow escalate into a 45-minute standoff. Breakfast becomes a negotiation worthy of international diplomacy. The car seat? Another battlefield. And this is all before 8 AM. 

You're not alone. Every parent in this workshop has lived this story. You've tried the stickercharts that lost their magic after three days. The time-outs that somehow resulted in moredestruction than the original offense. The logical consequences that your child seems immune to. You've read the books, followed the Instagram experts, and still find yourself hiding in the bathroom, wondering where you went wrong.

Here's the truth: You haven't gone wrong. Your child isn't broken. You're simply speaking different languages, and no one has given you the translation guide.

Understanding the Developing Mind

Your 4-year-old isn't being manipulative when they melt down over the "wrong" cup. Your 6-year-old isn't defiant when they can't explain why they hit their sibling. Your 8-year-old isn't dramatic when homework sends them into a spiral. They're communicating the only way their developing brain allows them to—through behavior.

When we ask a 5-year-old "Why did you do that?", we're asking them to access a part of their brain that won't fully develop until much later. It's like asking them to drive a car or file taxes. They simply don't have the neurological equipment yet. But they do have feelings—big, overwhelming feelings that need somewhere to go.

This workshop teaches you to decode your child's behavioral language and respond in ways that calm their nervous system while maintaining necessary boundaries. You'll discover why "You're frustrated the tower fell" works better than "Why are you crying?" or “Don’t be sad”. You'll understand why offering two parent-approved choices prevents more meltdowns than any punishment ever could.

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The Four Pillars of Connection

Drawing from decades of play therapy research and real-world application with many Nashville families, Ashley Boerger brings you four evidence-based techniques that transform daily interactions:

  • 1. Reflecting Feelings

    How reflecting feelings rather than questioning them can lead to calmer interactions

  • 2. Therapeutic Choice-Giving


    How to utilize choices to encourage autonomy and maintain peace

  • 3. Natural Limit-Setting


    Acknowledge feelings while maintaining boundaries - you are still the leader

  • 4. Specific Encouragement


    Why "good job" isn’t the best response, and what you can say instead

Workshop Experience & Format

Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025

Time: 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM

Location: The Estuary, 3010 Poston Ave, Ste 200, Nashville TN 37203

Limited to: 15 participants for personalized attention

Family Registration: $199 - One or both parents welcome – additional caregivers by request!

The Professional Behind the Practice: Ashley Boerger, LPC-MHSP, brings a unique combination of clinical expertise and real-world application to every workshop. Ashley has trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy at Belmont University and in continuing education courses.  Her practice, Play Therapy Nashville, has become a trusted resource for Nashville families. Known for her warm, judgment-free approach, Ashley creates a learning environment where every question is welcome and every struggle is validated. She understands that parenting in 2025 comes with unique challenges—screen time battles, social media pressure, pandemic aftereffects—that previous generations never faced.

Who This Workshop Serves

This workshop is designed for:

  • Parents of strong-willed children who've "tried everything"

  • Families where traditional discipline escalates rather than resolves

  • Parents of sensitive children who feel emotions intensely

  • Divorced co-parents seeking consistent approaches

  • Grandparents raising grandchildren in a different era

  • Foster and adoptive parents navigating attachment challenges

  • Any caregiver exhausted by daily power struggles

Register to Attend

Frequently Asked Questions

  • A: While the techniques are optimized for ages 3-8, many parents find them helpful for children slightly outside this range. The developmental understanding alone provides valuable context for any age.

  • A: This is an adults-only workshop to allow full focus on learning and practice. 

  • A: While ideal for both caregivers to attend, one parent can absolutely bring the learning home.

  • A: The techniques are evidence-based and secular, though Ashley respects and welcomes families of all spiritual backgrounds.

  • A: Every child is unique. Ashley provides modifications for different temperaments and challenges. If additional support is needed, she offers free 15-minute consultations to discuss ongoing therapy options.

The Choice Is Yours

You can continue the daily battles, hoping something magically changes. Or you can invest 90 minutes in learning evidence-based techniques that thousands of families have used to transform their homes. You can keep asking "Why?" and getting nowhere. Or you can learn what to say instead. You can remain exhausted and defeated. Or you can join a community of parents who understand that connection, not control, is the path to family peace.

The workshop is November 8th.
The transformation begins the moment you decide to register.

Ashley Boerger, LPC-MHSP, is the founder of Play Therapy Nashville and a recognized expertin child-centered therapeutic interventions. Learn more at playtherapynashville.comThe Estuary Wellness Center is proud to host practitioners who transform lives throughevidence-based, holistic approaches to mental health and family wellness.

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