Big Kids, Bigger Feelings: Navigating Defiance, Meltdowns, and Anxiety to Raise Confident, Connected Kids – The National Bestseller on the CEP Method

by Alyssa Blask Campbell, Rachel Stuart Lounder

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the coauthor of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions, a guide to supporting children’s social and emotional growth through the elementary school years (ages 5–12), a critical but often-overlooked developmental stage.

TOO OLD FOR TANTRUMS

TOO YOUNG FOR TEENAGE DRAMA

Meltdowns. Name-calling. Hitting, kicking, and hair-pulling. Except, these aren’t the toddler years. Why is your elementary-school-age child still having these outbursts?

Long thought of as the time when parents can finally enjoy calmer kids and deal with less emotional volatility and tears, the elementary school years are anything but. During this pivotal time, our children navigate a new set of social and emotional challenges. From playground bullying to cliques and exclusion, ever-increasing academic challenges, and plenty of physical growth and hormonal changes thrown into the mix—the elementary school years are more complicated than most parents realize.

Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is the guide you need to help your child thrive during these developmentally complex and wonderful years. The social and emotional skills you provide your children with now will prepare them for a lifetime of self-advocacy and stronger emotional intelligence. Campbell’s revolutionary Collaborative Emotion Processing (CEP) method, used in preschool and elementary school environments, teaches you how to work with your children to help them understand how they are feeling and process their big emotions in healthy, constructive ways. Discover how

·     Teach kids to handle unkind behaviors and set boundaries

·     Help kids learn to regulate themselves when they feel angry, sad, or upset

·     Manage technology use in a safe and healthy way

·     Navigate puberty, body changes, sex, drugs, and other important topics

·     Develop a deeper connection with your child

The elementary school years are rife with change—from changing bodies to changing social structures—and there’s never a better time to help your kids handle these ever-increasing challenges so they can thrive today and tomorrow.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Self Help, Audiobook, Psychology

288 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 16, 2025

Reviews

[Hanna Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the best “parenting” book I’ve read! Practical, empathetic to how hard parenting can be and supportive in ways to grow in the future. If you are a parent of a 5-12 year old or a teacher- I highly recommend!

“Connection has to come before correction.”

“If we want kids to handle their big feelings well, we have to show them what that looks like.”

Just so many wonderful quotes and lessons!

[Jenny Sapolsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful!!

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was PHENOMENAL! I've learned many of these concepts and techniques before, but having them all compiled together and applying them specifically to the middle childhood age (which ALL three of my children are now in) is so helpful. I told my husband I need to buy this because it will be our parenting Bible now, haha. It also was easy to read with lots of personal experiences or real-life examples. It felt very relatable.

[Marlana Pagano · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot emphasize enough how important this book is for any parent of an elementary aged child. I read their first book Ting Humans, Big Emotions and knew I had to read this one as well. It did not disappoint.

This book offers so many little gems of advice and insight for parents. What I like most about this book is that all of the advice was very practical for real life application. Many parents are already struggling to manage issues and cannot take on more rigorous multi-step routines, like many other parenting books suggest. Campbell, offers sound advice based on research surrounding topics like screen-time, discipline, managing behaviors and supporting neurodivergent children. As a therapist who focuses on parenting I particularly appreciated when Campbell likened developing emotional intelligence in children to developing literacy.

I will definitely be adding this to my social-emotional lending library for parents and will be referencing and recommending to many families who are struggling with their elementary aged child and/or families who are proactively preparing for the parenting changes that will happen as their children grow into elementary aged children.

[Carrie Stewart · Rating 3 out of 5]

References Anxious Generation a little too often for me and becomes repetitive at times, but overall decent parenting book for this age. Could use some more real world examples and some of the responses to situations feel robotic, but a good reminder to regulate yourself before attempting to help your kids do the same.

[Angela Zapien · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a parent raising and homeschooling four sons (oldest being 13 and youngest being 5)….I find myself in a season where I am being challenged as a mother. This book gave me great tools and wisdom to continue to build connection with the my children. All children are wired and built different. I found tools that I have already learned yet some that I took notes and have been applying.

This book is for everyone who is raising, mentoring or influencing children. Children need healthy parents and leaders to SEE them for who they are and are willing to walk along side them in their challenges.

Together, we’re shaping not only their future but also a kinder, more empathetic world - Alyssa Black Campbell

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had read this when my son was entering elementary school rather than leaving it, but truly this information can be applied to any human. I highly recommend this book to all parents!!!

[Courtney Castleberry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this, but honestly was disappointed by a lot of it. There were so many references to The Anxious Generation in this book, and I found that very off putting. There are some helpful strategies and tips for parents for managing different types of struggles, but a lot of it seems written for a parent that's never learned anything about parenting or empathy. I was hoping for some deeper things out of this one. I think it's still a valuable resource, especially for parents who are maybe lost on where to start if they've just been unable to connect with their kids.

[Angie Botner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I didn't realize I needed.

I am a yeller when I get frustrated. When I can't express what I'm trying to express to my 6 year old daughter it's not uncommon or me to raise my voice and express clear frustration. This book really helped me to open my eyes and look at the root cause of my OWN outbursts.

Last night I had a moment with my daughter, trying to put up rope lights around her bed and I was trying to get her to truck the power cord on the side of her shelf by the wall. But she wasn't understanding. I finally got frustrated and raised my voice and the look on her poor face was of sheer terror. I took a deep breath and re-worded my request (as I couldn't show her because it's on the top bunk and I'm too short) and she got it. I praised her patience and ability to get it done and after we finished with the lights we had a heart to heart conversation where I apologized for losing my temper and then I asked her how I could have worded my request better so she could understand and she hugged me and said "Mom we all make mistakes, honestly if you would have just said to touch the wall with the cord like you did at the end and I would have understood"

It's moments like this that make reading Alyssa Blask books comes in the most helpful in my life. I can't wait to see what other works she puts out <3

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I have never owned a single parenting book in my life but I’m strongly considering adding Big Kids, Bigger Feelings to my bookshelf. As a mom to a 9 year old AuADHD and an extremely strong willed and mischievous 4 year old, this book was so incredibly helpful in navigating the many obstacles parents/guardians face when facing difficult spots in raising children. I spent the majority of this book wishing I could place the brightest, most visible sticky note in the sections I found most helpful (hello, needing to remind myself to regulate my emotions before I dysregulated everyone around me) so I would know exactly where to go when I need help. This book read a bit more textbook-like for me, which was why I took the .5 stars off, but overall I found this surprisingly helpful. It’s not easy to find a book that is helpful to both neurodivergent and neurotypical children but I felt like Big Kids, Bigger Feelings covered everything I needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I happened upon this book by the recommendation of another author, Ash Brandin (Power On).

I have not read the previous book addressed at the younger children. It just wasn't out when my kids were that age. But this - this applies to the ages that I currently have. Because of that, I can't say how much this differs or repeats those same concepts in the previous book.

This book is a solid parenting book in the year 2025. Dysregulation? That was on the fringes when my oldest was at the lower end of the age range. Parenting in the US has come a long way in not so much of time.

There are QR codes in several chapters, which was a pleasant surprise. You can take the quizzes for yourself, have your children take them, partner or other caregivers to give you an idea on what is going on in your world.

It does refer to the Hot Topic Book Anxious Generation (which I will note that I strongly disliked) and used it as a comparison tools (ex sleepovers).

I do believe this book will equip more people with a stronger and more in-depth toolbox to implement in their daily lives.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars – Helpful but Missing Depth

Big Kids, Bigger Feelings by Alyssa Blake Campbell offers some thoughtful guidance on helping children manage emotions, especially as they grow older and face bigger challenges. The ideas are approachable and clearly written, making it easy for parents and caregivers to apply the strategies in daily life. I appreciated the emphasis on empathy and connection rather than discipline alone.

That said, I found the content a little too surface-level at times. While it provides useful reminders, it didn’t go as deep as I was hoping in terms of practical examples or more detailed techniques. Some sections felt repetitive, and I wished for more real-life scenarios to see the methods in action.

Overall, this is a decent resource if you’re looking for a quick and encouraging read about supporting kids through their emotions, but it may leave you wanting more substance if you’re already familiar with similar parenting books.

[Amber M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was great! It validated things I was already doing with my school-aged kids and gave me scripts and tips for things I’m sure we’ll be facing soon. This book isn’t too “woo woo” where you’ll roll your eyes but it does include scientifically backed ideas about the nervous system and the importance of emotional regulation. Chapters cover lying, peer pressure, school avoidance, technology, learning differences, and helping your child become a better human. It also gives tips for schools and teachers (spoiler alert: PBIS isn’t the way to go😂). With QR codes to access digital material this book really covers it all. I need a physical copy to come back to!

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy.

[Yvonne Milli · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a modern, well written guide to parenting children and their big emotions. This is an easy, fast read. I really appreciate that this book does not drag on with dry, wordy, needless explanations that other parenting books may include. There is a chapter on anxiety in this book and it does reference the Anxious Generation. There is a chapter on ADHD as well. It’s not a cure all, but it does offer enough information to make a difference in parenting, enough to understand where your child is coming from with regard to their behavior, and how to work through it with them. I find this book useful for day to day parenting whereas with other parenting books, I’ve often finished thinking, huh?

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very helpful book for the elementary schools years! In some ways these kids are still "little," but in many others they aren't. My son is almost 11, and there was a lot of good info in here for current struggles he and we are having, while I also wished this had been around earlier.
The book has science to back up, but it's written in a very approachable way. Lots of examples and sample conversations.
I would recommend this to any elementary age parents! Chapters are focused on fairly narrow topics, so it can be read all the way through, or your can go straight for areas that fit your needs.

[erforscherin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was more of a scouting read, as this is targeted more at 3rd-5th grade issues; I’ll probably revisit this later.

I do wish it had spent more time on templates/scaffolding for conversations, because most of the examples presented were… I don’t know how to say this: of a structure I had never seen before? It seemed like complete magic to me how that approach would deescalate the situation, and yet apparently it did, and I don’t know how to replicate that. Possibly Kidlet is just not old enough for me to imagine this yet, or (quite likely) maybe I am just not in the right headspace for this right now. :-/

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provided helpful frameworks for me to support the emotional development of my two very different children. Some of the example conversations did not feel realistic - where children are consistently responding to conversations with great insight to their feelings and how those feelings may impact their behaviors - and I have questions about heavily citing The Anxious Generation in the section about social media. However, I did appreciate the interweaving of how a parent’s implicit biases or childhood experiences can impact their initial responses to a child’s behavior and the importance of parents also living the values that they expect of their children. Would recommend.

[Allyce | · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I still have another year until I'm in the middle childhood years (ages 5-12) but I enjoyed reading this to start mentally preparing. My only issue was I wish the storytelling was a bit shorter and the tips/tricks/strategies were longer. I already preordered my copy and know I will reference it again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced copy. Big Kids, Bigger Feelings hits shelves on September 16, 2025.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Big Kids, Bigger Feelings is focused on parenting elementary age children, from the co-author of Tiny Humans, Big Emotions. Like many books in its genre, it uses real-life examples to convey different parenting techniques in practice. The main theme of the book centers around the idea that every behavior communicates a need. I wouldn't necessarily say I learned anything new, but it was nice to reinforce some ideas that I think are important for raising kids during these middle years. I think it's a valuable book for parents to read, especially if you prefer a holistic mind-body approach to child-rearing.

Thank you to William Morrow for gifting me with an ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good and had some useful reminders. Very similar message/advise as various others parenting books, such as Good Inside and How To Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes.

Didn’t find anything incredibly novel, but how much novelty is there in parenting advice these days. However, quick acronyms seem to be helpful when searching for levers to pull during high emotions.

F - Food
A - Activity
C - Connection
T - Tune Out
S - Sleep

[Kayla Farmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of relatable scenarios in this book. I felt like reading the book was validating in my reactions and that my kids “are normal, good kids” despite hard moments. It gave suggestions that felt very “easier said than done” but presented good research that have inspired me to do better. I think I will feel like it’s less “just validation” and more productive if I work on the associated workbook to help me actually do better.

[KR · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a first time parent of five-year-old twins I found a lot of helpful information in this book about navigating difficult emotions and discussions. A few sections felt a bit like a book report since it quoted a lot of other texts, but overall the advice and sample scripts were well structured and I know I'll be referring back to them in the future.

[Tia Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, research backed, and totally relatable this book is a must for parents! From screen time to discipline to supporting neurodivergent kids, Campbell gives advice you can actually use no fluff. I’ll be recommending this one to so many families. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Laura Levan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am between three and four stars for this one. It was easy to read with many examples and stories that demonstrate how the content can be applied. I definitely learned some new things that seem to be helping me understand and help my kid. I'd recommend it if you're looking for resources on emotional awareness and regulation.

[Crys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not a perfect book, but overall insightful and helpful for understanding elementary age students. I listened to the audiobook which was great for a busy parent. You're not gonna find the answers to all your questions in any book, but this is a good place to start.

[Anna Fink · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many golden nuggets in here!! I've read/listened to so much about toddlerhood and realized I knew nothing past that point as my 5 year old was throwing me through the ringer lol I listened to the audio and wish I had a hard copy to highlight and bookmark

[Kindra Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4.0

Overall a good parenting book. I don't think it's ground breaking information. More like a reminder to take the whole child into account. The best thing was FACTS. I use that daily with my son.

[Lynsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is helpful in understanding how to help my growing and changing kids. Looking at them with the information from the book and my person worldview will hopefully give me more tools as they continue to develop.

[Sherry Forster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is such an excellent resource. The subtitle is "Surviving and Thriving Through the Elementary School Years (Ages 5-12)." My youngest two grandsons are in that sweet spot, and this book offers practical suggestions for understanding and navigating those ages.

[Tuwanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very insightful book. I like the suggestions on how to approach different situations and sample dialogs. There was some helpful information that I am actively referring back to.