3 Things I Learned Working With Kids That Every Parent Needs to Hear

Erica, host of The Confidence Chronicles, shares profound insights from her recent placement as a school counselor working with 19 children across grades one to six in Australia. Having previously built a career as a confidence coach and business mentor, she reflects on how this hands-on experience revealed three critical areas parents often overlook: the damaging impact of unregulated screen time on children's mental health and nervous systems, the urgent need for consistent, safe communication within families, and the hidden dangers of online games like Roblox that expose kids to inappropriate content and predatory behavior. Drawing from her own trauma history and therapeutic training, Erica emphasizes that parents must model healthy tech boundaries, create nightly family meetings with open dialogue, and proactively educate their children about online safety—rather than relying on laws or filters. She shares personal stories of emotional connection with her young clients, including a powerful moment when a child said, 'I’m not going to hate you,' challenging the myth that teenage rebellion is inevitable. Her experience deepened her conviction that parenting is a demanding, often invisible 'business' requiring self-work, empathy, and consistent presence.