Lately, I’ve heard so many people describe the world as scary.

In this episode of The Early Learning Lounge: Hustle, Grind & Heart, we explore what it means to lead in turbulent times — when uncertainty is constant, information moves faster than our nervous systems were designed to handle, and fear feels close to the surface.

This conversation is for all people, not just those with titles or positions. Because leadership is not a rank or a role — it’s an action, and it starts from within.

Blending reflection with accessible neuroscience, this episode unpacks why the world feels so overwhelming right now, how technology has removed natural pauses and filters, and why steadiness, awareness, and compassion have become essential leadership practices.

If you’re feeling unsettled…
If the noise feels heavy…
If you’re wondering how to show up without burning out…

This episode is for you.

✨ Learn more and read the blog at tammynucci.com
✨ Follow along on social at @tammynuccispeakercoach
✨ Join the community at The Early Learning Lounge HUB on skool.com, where you’ll find the blog, free early learning courses, and space to reflect together.

Because the hustle is real.
The grind is constant.
But the heart — your heart — is what makes it all matter. 💛

☕ Refill your cup and meet us in the Lounge.

What if leadership isn’t about control, authority, or having all the answers?

In this episode of The Early Learning Lounge: Hustle, Grind & Heart, Tammy Nucci shares a pivotal story from her career — one that reshaped her understanding of leadership, belonging, and possibility.

Set inside an early learning centre navigating trauma, fear, and uncertainty, this episode reflects on one brave decision, one influential child, and one simple book that changed everything. Through storytelling and reflection, Tammy explores what it truly means to lead with heart — and how leadership often begins long before skills, regulation, or confidence show up.

This episode is for anyone who cares about early learning, leadership, and community — especially if you’re feeling the weight of the work or questioning your impact.

Because leadership isn’t about power or position.
It’s about seeing possibility where others see risk.
And believing in people before they believe in themselves.

✨ Learn more and read the blog at tammynucci.com
✨ Follow Tammy on social at @tammynuccispeakercoach
✨ Join the community at The Early Learning Lounge HUB on skool.com, where you’ll find the blog, free early learning courses, and space to reflect together.

Because the hustle is real.
The grind is constant.
But the heart — your heart — is what makes it all matter. 💛

☕ Refill your cup and meet us in the Lounge.

In Episode 13 of The Early Learning Lounge: Hustle, Grind & Heart, Tammy Nucci takes a reflective turn — moving from theory into storytelling, and from teaching into remembering.

Through two unexpected moments, this episode explores the invisible impact of early learning work and the truth that sits at its core: children may forget what we said or did, but they never forget how we made them feel.

This episode is for anyone who cares about early learning — especially those who are feeling tired, questioning their impact, or quietly carrying the weight of the work.

Because the hustle is real.
The grind is constant.
But the heart is what makes it all matter. 💛

☕ Take a moment. Refill your cup. And meet us in the Lounge.

✨ FIRST EPISODE OF 2026 ✨

Welcome to The Early Learning Lounge: Hustle, Grind & Heart — and to a new year that begins not with pressure, but with intention.

Before we talk about children’s behaviour, emotional regulation, or learning in 2026, this episode invites us to pause and start where everything truly begins: the adult nervous system.

Children don’t experience the world in isolation.
They experience it through us — our tone, our pace, our stress, our calm.

Neuroscience reminds us that regulation comes before resolution.
Nervous systems sync. Emotions travel. And when adults are grounded, children can settle too.

In this Monday Morning Reframe, we explore:
• Why adult regulation is the foundation of co-regulation
• How our nervous systems shape children’s behaviour and learning
• Why slowing down is leadership — not weakness
• What it looks like to begin the year with awareness instead of urgency

✨ New for 2026 ✨
The Early Learning Lounge Hub is now open on Skool — a space for deeper reflection, ongoing professional learning, and real community beyond the podcast.

This episode isn’t about doing more.
It’s about noticing more.

A new year.
A steady breath.
A slower start.

Because the hustle is real.
The grind is constant.
But the heart — your heart — is what makes it all matter.

🎙️ Happy New Year, friends.
Let’s begin 2026 with grit, hustle, and heart.

The Final Episode of 2025

As the holiday season winds down and routines slowly return, many children — and adults — find themselves in an in-between space. Emotions feel closer to the surface, behaviour can intensify, and there’s often quiet pressure to “get back on track.”

In this final episode of 2025, Tammy Nucci invites listeners to pause and reflect on an essential truth:

Regulation doesn’t begin in the meltdown.
It begins long before.

This episode explores:
🌿 how environments support or overwhelm regulation
⏳ why routines create safety, not control
🧠 what behaviour is really communicating
💛 and how adults set the tone before emotions spill over

Rather than focusing on fixing behaviour, this conversation encourages us to reframe, reconnect, and rewrite the story— closing out the year with intention instead of urgency.

Thank you for being part of The Early Learning Lounge throughout 2025. This episode is both a reflection on the year behind us and a gentle bridge toward what comes next.

Your Monday Morning Reframe:
Regulation doesn’t start in crisis. It starts in design.

Pour your coffee, take a breath, and close out the year with heart. ☕💛

Why does emotional regulation feel harder than ever — for children and adults?

In this week’s Monday Morning Reframe, Tammy Nucci explores what neuroscience tells us about emotional regulation and why expecting children to “calm down” or self-regulate on their own is often developmentally unrealistic.

We unpack:
🧠 how the developing brain regulates emotions
🫶 why co-regulation must come before self-regulation
⏳ how speed, schedules, and overstimulation impact children’s nervous systems
🌱 what “challenging behaviour” is really communicating
💛 and how small, intentional shifts can make a meaningful difference

Research shows that the part of the brain responsible for impulse control and emotional regulation continues developing into the early to mid-20s. Children aren’t failing — their brains are still under construction.

This episode is a reminder to slow the moment, soften expectations, and lead with connection — especially in a fast-paced world.

Your Monday Morning Reframe:
Calm isn’t taught. It’s caught.

Pour your coffee, take a breath, and begin the week with compassion — for children and for yourself.

Where did childhood go?

In this week’s Monday Morning Reframe, Tammy Nucci explores how screens have filled the spaces where imagination, boredom, and outdoor play once lived. This episode isn’t about blaming technology — it’s about understanding balance, and how digital convenience has quietly reshaped childhood.

We dive into:

📱 why screens are not the enemy — imbalance is
🌀 how fast-paced digital stimulation influences attention, frustration tolerance, and emotional regulation
🌱 what research is showing about screen use and child development
⚡ the hidden cost of convenience
💛 and the reframe every adult needs to hear

Screens didn’t replace childhood.
They replaced the time childhood needs to unfold.

This episode will leave you thinking differently about how you spend your time, your children’s time, and the quiet moments where identity, resilience, and imagination take shape.

Your Monday Morning Reframe:
Childhood isn’t found in pixels — it’s found in pauses.

Once upon a time, childhood happened outside — in backyards, on bikes, and in worlds without walls. Today, children spend more time sitting than exploring, more time scrolling than climbing, and more time indoors than any generation before them.

In this episode, Tammy Nucci takes a heartfelt and eye-opening look at how outdoor play has changed — and what’s at stake if we don’t reclaim it. From shrinking “play radiuses” to the rise of fear-based parenting, we’ll uncover why children are losing opportunities to take risks, solve problems, and build the confidence they need for life.

You’ll hear:

🌿 how outdoor play shapes identity, resilience, and emotional regulation
⚠️ why eliminating risk doesn’t make children safer
🌍 what Tammy observed in countries like Sweden, Denmark, Australia, and New Zealand
🔄 why schools aren’t the only ones responsible for outdoor play
💡 the reframe every adult needs: risk is the teacher

If you’ve ever wondered why children seem more anxious, less confident, or hesitant to explore — this episode offers clarity, compassion, and a path forward.

Your Monday Morning Reframe:
Opening the door isn’t just an invitation to go outside.
It’s permission for children to become who they’re meant to be.