Have you ever wondered why your child struggles to focus or seems to have big emotional reactions to small things?

This week on The Organized Mompreneur Podcast, I sat down with Amanda Anderson, Director of Parent Education and Support at Brain Balance of Utah and Arizona. Amanda is also a mama of three and a passionate advocate for helping parents understand the connection between brain development and everyday behavior. Her insights will leave you feeling both empowered and equipped.

Whether your child is struggling with attention, emotional regulation, or sensory challenges, this conversation is packed with practical takeaways and grace-filled encouragement.

From Surviving to Thriving Amanda’s Story

Amanda’s work with Brain Balance is personal. As a mom, she’s walked through her own daughter’s sensory challenges and found healing and transformation through the Brain Balance program. Her firsthand experience, alongside years of work supporting hundreds of families, makes her advice relatable and deeply trustworthy.

What Your Child’s Brain Might Be Telling You

Amanda explains how brain development happens in layers, like building a house. When certain foundational skills aren’t fully developed, it can impact everything from focus and impulse control to emotional regulation and learning.

What might look like “bad behavior” could actually be a sign of developmental delays or retained primitive reflexes.

Amanda encourages moms to:

• Get curious about their child’s struggles rather than reactive
• Observe patterns and triggers without judgment
• Understand the brain’s role in focus, emotional control, and sensory processing

Understanding Before Reacting One of the most powerful parts of this episode is Amanda’s encouragement to create space between a child’s behavior and our response as parents. When we pause, even for just five seconds, we create room to lead with empathy instead of frustration.

She also shares helpful mindset shifts like:

• “There’s a good reason why I’m seeing what I’m seeing.”
• “My job right now is to understand my child, not fix them.”

These shifts help us stay grounded and model the emotional regulation we want our children to learn.

Screen Time, Attention, and the Need for Balance

Amanda offers practical tools for helping kids build better focus and reduce screen dependency, including:

• Creating off-screen habits and family routines that promote connection
• Helping children transition between activities with more ease
• Using curiosity and shared problem-solving instead of commands

She emphasizes that focus is like a muscle, it can grow stronger over time with intentional support.

Know When to Seek Support

If you’ve ever had that gut feeling that something’s not quite right with your child’s development, Amanda encourages you to trust it. One of the best places to start is with a Brain Balance assessment, which helps uncover developmental gaps that might be getting in the way.

Brain Balance has in-person centers across the country, plus virtual programs so you can get help wherever you are. Amanda reminds us that whether the struggle is big or small, support is available.

Quotes to Remember:

“Parenting is the best and hardest thing we’ll ever do.” – Amanda Anderson

“Our kids are shelling out energy all day, at some point it’s too much.” – Amanda Anderson

“Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s wrong. It might mean your child’s brain needs more support.” – Amanda Anderson

Special Thanks to Our Sponsor: Brain Balance

We’re so grateful to partner with Brain Balance, a program committed to helping kids build stronger brain connections for better focus, behavior, and emotional growth. Their holistic, drug-free programs are changing the lives of families all over the country, including mine.

Connect with Brain Balance:

Website: www.brainbalancecenters.com
Instagram: @brainbalancecenters

Download a free Build Better Focus Guide. You’ll get detailed tips to help your child stay on task, concentrate, feel calm and build sustained attention skills.

Thank you for joining us today. Wherever you are on your motherhood or parenting journey, there is hope, support, and healing available.

You are not alone.

Complimentary Episodes:

1. Ep 202. The Real Truth about Juggling Business + Homeschool
2. Ep 176. Cultivating Respect From Your Kids Through Special Time
3. Ep 174. Parenting Beyond the Younger Years with Nellie Harden
4. Ep 160. Enjoying Every Moment with Your Kids
5. Ep 84. When Behavior Issues Feel Unmanageable with Amanda Anderson
6. Browse All Parenting Related Episode
   

Resources:

1. The Purpose Gathering Live In-Person Event – A transformative two-day experience for women ready to trade worldly hustle for Kingdom impact, where you’ll learn to infuse God’s wisdom into every area of life and discover sustainable success His way
2. Local to Gilbert/Mesa Arizona (For Mom Business Owners) Join our in person membership community
3. Need support managing your time well and creating systems to streamline your business? Join the Organized CEO Bootcamp (6 Week Group Program)
4. Message me on Voxer (My username is afreehan)
5. Have a question for me? Or a specific struggle you’re dealing with? I’ll address your question on the podcast. Submit your ‘Ask Ashley’ question here