💛 Welcome Letter – Week 8 · Sacred Spaces By Brandy Grace

💛 Welcome Letter – Week 8

Hey y’all,

Welcome to Week 8 of our Nurturing Families journey. 🌼

This week, we’re diving into something that can completely change how we see our children — and ourselves — as we grow together: understanding the brain.

If I could go back in time and tell my 19-year-old self one thing as I was raising my now-adult children, it would be this:

“Their behavior isn’t bad — their brain is still learning.”

I wish I had known then what I know now about brain development and behavioral science. It would have changed so much about how I parented — how I responded to meltdowns, how I set boundaries, and even how I forgave myself when I didn’t get it right.

Back then, I didn’t know that little brains literally can’t self-regulate yet — or that teens are wired for risk and independence, not because they’re defiant, but because their brains are under construction. I didn’t know that the part of the brain responsible for logic and impulse control doesn’t fully develop until our mid-twenties.

And y’all, I surely didn’t know that my own brain, shaped by trauma and survival, was learning and healing right alongside my children.

Now, with my youngest, Arianna, I get to use all of these new tools — tools I wish I’d had 20 years ago. I find myself breathing differently, listening differently, and seeing her through a softer, more curious lens. And here’s the beautiful part — I still use these same tools with my adult children. It’s never too late to parent differently, to reconnect, or to model growth.

This week is about giving you that same gift — the understanding that:

Behavior is communication.
The brain grows through relationships, not reactions.
And patience is a science-backed form of love.

When we understand what’s happening inside our children’s minds, we stop taking everything so personally and start seeing every meltdown, mood swing, and mistake as an opportunity to teach, connect, and grow together.

So whether your child is a toddler learning “no,” a tween testing limits, or a teen craving independence — remember, they’re not giving you a hard time; they’re having a hard time.

💛 This week, we’ll explore: