The Power of Less in Parenting the Early Years | Vanessa Collett

Tune in today for Vanessa Collett—parenting coach, child development director, MFT student, and the voice behind @littlebylittle.vw, where she offers thoughtful, practical support for parents of toddlers and preschoolers. Vanessa has a background in Human and Family Development, and she brings such a grounded, deeply compassionate lens to the world of parenting. Whether you're in the thick of tantrums, navigating screentime decisions, or preparing your child for a new sibling, Vanessa has a way of helping you slow down, tune in, and parent with both intention and trust. We talk about everything from setting realistic expectations based on child development, to rethinking discipline, to finding calm in the chaos of daily routines. We also explore what it means to fight the cultural pull toward “more” and instead discover the power of less in parenting—with room for autonomy, flexibility, and connection.

Episode Highlights:

• Getting to know Vanessa

• Understanding child development and setting expectations

• Taking the cues to slow down

• Navigating dysregulation and discipline

• The power of less in parenting

• Giving them their autonomy back

• Fighting the tension of less as parents

• Role of screentime and its effects

• Finding balance of media consumption

• Compassion for different parenting approaches

• Connecting with your kids in the daily routine

• Avoiding forced connection

• Preparing for a new sibling

• Setting the expectations for flexibility

• Encouragement for homeschool families

• Leaning into community

Connect with Vanessa on IG for continued resources!

Substack littlebylittleco.substack.com for ongoing reflections and parenting tools,

littlebylittleco.org)for booking 1:1 sessions or learning more about teacher shadowing support!