Sara Lewis Hartley’s approach to parenting focuses on emotional connection and growth for both parents and kids.
Parenting has always presented its challenges, but in today’s fast-paced world, many parents face new pressures and complexities. For Sara Lewis Hartley, a healthcare executive and certified ADHD and neurodiversity coach, the journey toward emotionally resilient parenting began from a deeply personal place. Raising neurodivergent children gave her a unique perspective on the importance of emotional awareness—not only for her children, but for herself as well.
This understanding led Sara to bridge the gap between knowledge and lived experience, creating tools and resources that help parents raise emotionally healthy children while also nurturing their own emotional growth. At the core of her work is a belief that emotional connection between parents and children is foundational to long-term well-being.
The Emotional Reality of Parenting
One of the hardest parts of raising children isn’t teaching emotional regulation—it’s realizing that many adults were never taught these skills themselves. This challenge can feel even more overwhelming for parents of neurodivergent children, where emotions and self-regulation may be more complex or misunderstood. In Sara’s experience, parenting has become a journey of mutual growth—one in which both parents and children learn and evolve together.
This belief is central to Sara’s Echo Parenting philosophy—the idea that parenting often reflects our own unmet emotional needs, and that raising emotionally healthy children requires parents to reflect, heal, and grow alongside them.
That realization can be both validating and unsettling. It reframes challenging moments not as personal failures, but as opportunities for awareness and growth. In Sara’s view, this shift—from self-judgment to self-awareness—is often where meaningful change begins.
“I’ve seen firsthand that many parents are learning emotional regulation at the same time as their children,” Sara notes. “It’s not a one-sided process. The emotional growth of a child directly influences the emotional growth of a parent, and vice versa.”
Fostering Emotional Awareness Through Connection
Emotionally resilient parenting is rooted in the understanding that connection matters more than control. When parents learn to regulate their own emotional responses, they create safer, more grounded relationships with their children.
This philosophy is central to the ALIGN Parenting Method™, a strengths-based framework Sara developed to help parents build emotional awareness, regulate their nervous systems, and lead with connection before responding to behavior. What sets this approach apart is its emphasis on pausing before reacting—inviting parents to notice what’s happening internally before trying to change what’s happening externally. From that place of awareness, the framework offers simple, practical techniques parents can use in the moment to calm and support both themselves and their children.
Rather than focusing on getting a child to “behave,” Sara encourages parents to prioritize emotional safety and connection, trusting that regulation and resilience grow naturally from feeling understood.
The Importance of Inclusive, Strengths-Based Tools
Supporting emotional growth in children isn’t just about understanding the science behind emotional regulation—it’s about applying it in everyday life. One way this learning becomes accessible, especially for children, is through storytelling that reflects their emotional experiences in a developmentally appropriate way.
Sara’s Purposefully Me children’s book series offers young readers lessons in emotional regulation, empathy, self-worth, and confidence—skills that parents and children can develop together. The books are intentionally inclusive and strengths-based, affirming children’s unique qualities rather than focusing on perceived deficits.
“Children learn emotional regulation through experience, practice, and positive reinforcement,” says Sara. “The Purposefully Me series reflects this by teaching emotional skills through fun, accessible stories.”
A Compassionate, Grounded Approach to Parenting
Unlike traditional parenting advice that often centers on behavior correction, Sara’s approach emphasizes compassion, connection, and personal growth. Parenting doesn’t require perfection—only a willingness to grow alongside your child and recognize that emotional development is an ongoing journey.
By focusing on mutual emotional growth, parents can begin to break generational cycles of emotional dysregulation and create healthier family dynamics.
The Power of Emotional Awareness
At the foundation of emotional resilience is the ability to regulate one’s own emotions. When parents model emotional regulation, they teach their children how to do the same. This practice supports children—but it is also essential for parents as they navigate the daily demands of family life.
“Emotional regulation is something parents model for their children,” Sara explains. “By focusing on our own emotional resilience, we help our children break the cycle of stress and emotional instability.”
The Power of Repair Over Perfection
One of the most misunderstood aspects of emotionally resilient parenting is the belief that parents need to “get it right” all the time. In reality, moments of misstep and repair are not failures—they are some of the most powerful opportunities for connection and trust.
“Parents don’t need to be perfect,” Sara says. “What matters most is the repair. When we own our mistakes, name our emotions, and reconnect, we show our children that relationships can bend without breaking—and that it’s safe to be human.”
Through her work, Sara emphasizes that repair teaches children essential emotional skills such as accountability, empathy, and trust. When parents model how to pause, apologize, and reconnect, children learn that mistakes are part of growth—not something to hide or fear.
Why Connection Over Control Matters
The pressure to “fix” a child’s behavior can feel overwhelming. Shifting from a control-based mindset to one rooted in emotional connection can be deeply liberating, helping parents feel more grounded, capable, and empowered to support emotional wellness within their families.
Conclusion: Moving Toward Compassionate Parenting
Building emotional resilience in children begins with a shift in perspective. When parents prioritize emotional awareness and connection, they create a compassionate, supportive environment where children can thrive.
At its core, this approach invites parents to ask a different question—not “How do I fix this?” but “What does my child need, and what do I need, in this moment?”
For parents seeking additional support, many experts recommend exploring resources that foster emotional intelligence, including books focused on empathy, confidence, and emotional regulation. These tools offer valuable guidance for families on their journey toward emotional wellness.
Explore more resources and connect with Sara through the following links:
