Big Kids, Bigger Feelings: Navigating Defiance, Meltdowns, and Anxiety to Raise Confident, Connected Kids

by Alyssa Blask Campbell, Rachel Stuart Lounder

Overview

From the coauthor of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions, a guide to supporting children’s social and emotional growth through the elementary school years (ages 5–12), a critical but often-overlooked developmental stage.

TOO OLD FOR TANTRUMS

TOO YOUNG FOR TEENAGE DRAMA

Meltdowns. Name-calling. Hitting, kicking, and hair-pulling. Except, these aren’t the toddler years. Why is your elementary-school-age child still having these outbursts?

Long thought of as the time when parents can finally enjoy calmer kids and deal with less emotional volatility and tears, the elementary school years are anything but. During this pivotal time, our children navigate a new set of social and emotional challenges. From playground bullying to cliques and exclusion, ever-increasing academic challenges, and plenty of physical growth and hormonal changes thrown into the mix—the elementary school years are more complicated than most parents realize.

Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the guide you need to help your child thrive during these developmentally complex and wonderful years. The social and emotional skills you provide your children with now will prepare them for a lifetime of self-advocacy and stronger emotional intelligence. Campbell’s revolutionary Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method, used in preschool and elementary school environments, teaches you how to work with your children to help them understand how they are feeling and process their big emotions in healthy, constructive ways. Discover how to:

·     Teach kids to handle unkind behaviors and set boundaries

·     Help kids learn to regulate themselves when they feel angry, sad, or upset

·     Manage technology use in a safe and healthy way

·     Navigate puberty, body changes, sex, drugs, and other important topics

·     Develop a deeper connection with your child

The elementary school years are rife with change—from changing bodies to changing social structures—and there’s never a better time to help your kids handle these ever-increasing challenges so they can thrive today and tomorrow.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780063415621
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	09/16/2025
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288

About the Author

Alyssa Blask Campbell has a master’s degree in early childhood education; is coauthor of Tiny Humans, Big, Emotions; the CEO of Seed and Sew; and an established podcaster and influencer. A mom of two, she has also been featured as an emotional development expert in numerous national publications. She lives in Burlington, VT.

Rachel Stuart Lounder works at Seed & Sew alongside Alyssa Blask Campbell. Committed to research-informed child development practices, with two elementary-aged children of her own, she brings a deep understanding of the real-life challenges at this stage of childhood.

Editorial Reviews

Packed with relatable anecdotes and accessible parenting tools, this compassionate guide delivers.” — Publishers Weekly

 “Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the compassionate, practical guide every parent needs. Alyssa and Rachel show us how to truly connect with our kids—not by fixing or minimizing their big emotions but by guiding them through them with confidence and care. This book is a must-read for building strong, emotionally healthy relationships with kids.” 
— Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Whole-Brain Child and No-Drama Discipline

“Big Kids, Bigger Feelings beautifully blends practical neuroscience with boots-on-the-ground, compassionate, empathetic parenting. It’s exactly the resource parents need to understand what’s happening inside the minds of their growing kids.”
— Jon Fogel, author of Punishment-Free Parenting

“As a pediatrician who sees children from birth to twenty-one and a mom myself, I’ve seen how often the elementary school years get lost in parenting guidance—caught between the toddler tantrums and the teenage storms. Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the compassionate, research-backed guide parents have been waiting for. Alyssa Blask Campbell and Rachel Stuart Lounder offer tools, scripts, and insights that will help you move beyond behavior management into true connection.”
— Dr. Mona Amin, board-certified pediatrician and mom

“With wisdom and clarity, Alyssa Blask Campbell brings the often-overlooked world of nervous system regulation into the heart of parenting elementary-school-age children. Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is not just a guide—it’s a lifeline for caregivers navigating defiance, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. Alyssa empowers us to raise connected, resilient kids by honoring their inner experience and offering co-regulation instead of battling over control. A powerful and timely resource for every conscious parent.”
— Dr. Shefali, clinical psychologist and New York Times bestselling author

“Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is a profoundly helpful and soulful collection of wise and research backed guidance for all of the complex scenarios that parents of children in middle childhood face. A true masterpiece of science and heart for any parent determined to give their children a secure and connected middle childhood experience.”
— Eli Harwood, MA, LPC, creator of Attachment Nerd and author of Raising Securely Attached Kids: Using Connection Focused Parenting For Confidence, Empathy, and Resilience

“With a relatability of real parents, real experience as experienced experts, the authors offer one of the rare books that truly speaks to parents of newly “big” kids—helping us understand our evolving role and explore the realistic ways we can meet their needs and give them room to grow.”
— Neha Ruch, author of The Power of Pause

“Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the ultimate how-to-guide for stressed parents navigating new terrain and all its challenges for the next stage of parenting.”
— Dr. Aditi Nerurkar, MD, MPH, Harvard physician, stress expert, and bestselling author of The 5 Resets

"So many parenting books focus on compliance—on how to get our kids to behave. But what if the real goal isn’t obedience, but emotional intelligence? What if learning to navigate big feelings is an opportunity for us to heal, grow, and flourish as adults? Big Kids, Bigger Feelings offers a transformative framework—the Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) model—that turns everyday challenges into moments of connection. This book isn’t about controlling our kids, it’s about co-regulating with them. It’s an emotional literacy guide for the whole family, rooted in neuroscience, compassion, and the radical belief that connection is the path to resilience."
— Ellen Vora, MD, author of The Anatomy of Anxiety

"In a media landscape full of finger pointing and fear, Big Kids, Bigger Feelings goes back to the basics, framing common worries and big behaviors in simple, child-centered, and empathetic terms. Blask Campbell and Stuart Lounder show how interconnected these issues are, and how they are often symptoms of one root cause. Instead of quick fixes, this is a practical reminder and guide for the perspective shift that will make caregiving and teaching more sustainable, more practical, and more fun."
— Ash Brandin, The Gamer Educator

“Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the compassionate guide every parent of school-age kids needs. Alyssa Blask Campbell beautifully blends neuroscience, practical tools, and emotional wisdom to help parents navigate the emotional rollercoaster of middle childhood. With empathy and clarity, she reminds us that our job isn’t to fix or prevent our children’s pain—but to stay present with them in it. This book is an empowering resource for raising emotionally healthy, resilient kids while healing our own inner child in the process.”
— Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, pediatric psychologist, parent coach, and author of Love the Teen You Have

“Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the guide every parent needs for the emotional rollercoaster of the elementary years. With relatable stories, brain science made simple, and practical tools that actually work, Alyssa Blask Campbell and Rachel Stuart Lounder help you navigate meltdowns, anxiety, defiance, and the growing need for independence—without losing connection along the way.”
— Dr. Morgan Cutlip, author of A Better Share: How Couples Can Tackle the Mental Load for More Fun, Less Resentment, and Great Sex

From the Publisher