About Carolyn
(To keep it brief)
I’m Carolyn— a neurodivergent mom, Early Childhood Educator, and certified parenting coach. I’ve worked with children and families for 13 years— in childcare centres, Montessori schools, inclusive preschool programs, and as a manager leading teams and mentoring educators.
But my real training started at home. One of my children is autistic with a PDA profile (Pathological Demand Avoidance), and parenting him has transformed everything I thought I knew. I’ve walked through the epic meltdowns, school refusal, and the isolation of teachers and doctors telling us to “just be more strict”— which only made things worse. Eventually, I found my way back to connection.
Through my certification with the Jai Institute for parenting, I bring a trauma-informed, strength based, and relational approach to parent coaching that honours both the child’s needs and the parent’s nervous system.
“we need to regulate, in order to relate, and only then can we reason with the child”
-Dr Bruce Perry
More about my story:
Carolyn Babuin is a certified parent coach with a background in early childhood education, music, and family support. With over a decade of experience in licensed childcare—and an honorary master’s degree in helping toddlers through meltdowns—she brings hands-on experience working with kids of all types as an educator, and lived experience as a mother to her parent coaching.
Her journey into conscious, respectful parenting began while working in a Montessori classroom, where she became fascinated by how children thrive when given autonomy, connection, and trust. That spark led her down the path of attachment science, trauma-informed care, and eventually, parent coaching.
She’s a neurodivergent mom of two intense and incredible kids—one autistic and PDA-profiled and both passionate about avoiding bedtime at all costs. Carolyn’s work is rooted in nervous system regulation and neurodiversity-affirming practices (aka: ditching the sticker charts and embracing co-regulation).
Carolyn has a knack for seeing the deeper needs behind the surface behaviours—whether in children, exhausted parents, or her own chaotic mornings. She’s trained in DIR/Floortime which is a play-based developmental approach that supports children’s emotional, social, and cognitive growth. It focuses on building relationships and following the child’s lead to promote meaningful interactions and development, especially for neurodivergent children. This gives her a deeper understanding of relational therapeutic approaches. She has supported dozens of families, including those navigating ADHD, autism, PDA, anxiety, sensory challenges, and burnout. Her superpower is helping parents find their calm, their confidence, and their sense of humour—even when someone’s peed on the couch, again.
When she’s not coaching, you’ll find her on a beach somewhere on Vancouver Island with her husband and children, or leading music lessons for neurodivergent preschoolers, reorganizing someone else’s craft cupboard for dopamine, or drinking her coffee cold while standing over a laundry pile she refuses to fold. She believes in doing this work with heart, humility, and zero judgment—and that real change happens when we stop trying to “fix” a child’s behaviour and start healing ourselves instead.
“Parenting a neurodivergent child is not about finding the right set of instructions. It’s about becoming the student of your child.”
WHAT MAKES HER STAND OUT
Before diving into coaching with a new family, Carolyn always makes sure there’s a good fit—because this work is deeply personal. She holds space for the messy, the emotional, and the unfiltered parts of parenting—and meets each caregiver with warmth, insight, and zero pressure to “get it right.”
She’s worked with every kind of family: neurodivergent caregivers, young parents, single parents, co-parents, queer families, kids with wildly different nervous systems, and families navigating multiple diagnoses with no clear road map. Her specialties are neurodiverse families and families with young children. Her approach blends practical strategies with emotional attunement—so you walk away with more than a parenting hack. You leave with the emotional toolkit you didn’t know you needed—kind of like finding snacks in your glovebox on a day you forgot to pack lunch.
Carolyn specializes in helping caregivers:
Understand what’s actually going on underneath their child’s big behaviors
Regulate their own nervous system in the middle of chaos
Set boundaries without shame
Repair after ruptures (big or small)
And most importantly—connect, deeply and authentically
She’s not here to preach perfection or to judge you and tell you how to parent. She already knows the best parent for your child is you! She’s here to support parents on their parenting journey to have more peace, connection and deeper joy! You are not alone!
Carolyn’s ideal clients are parents who care deeply and may often feel overwhelmed. They’re trying to raise kids with intention while untangling their own stuff in the process. If you’re trying to be the parent you never had—or the one you wish you could be more consistently—Carolyn’s here to walk that path with you, one honest, empowered step at a time.
In addition to parent coaching, Carolyn also offers consulting for teams at daycares/preschools.
See “ECE Consulting” Page for more information
Coaching is action-focused and grounded in developmental science. Unlike therapy, which explores mental health or trauma, coaching offers real-time tools to support everyday parenting. It’s not a substitute for therapy, but it can beautifully complement it.
In our work together, we’ll move away from “Parent Over” (controlling) and “Parent Under” (permissive), toward “Parent With”—an approach rooted in connection, respect, and healthy boundaries. This shift builds trust, emotional resilience, and a calmer, more cooperative family life.
Who I Help
Parents/Caregivers of autistic, ADHD, PDA or otherwise neurodivergent children
Parents who they themselves are neurodivergent
Families with young children (neurodivergent or neurotypical)
Families seeking alternatives to behavioural approaches
Caregivers feeling stuck in power struggles, exhaustion or burnout
Parents ready to unlearn fear-based parenting and embrace a new way
Parents who have all the head knowledge of how they want to change, but they need a guide to help them implement
Highly Sensitive children or parents
Grandparents who are involved in directly raising their grandchildren
Groups of parents from daycares, preschools and centres wanting tools to support their parenting
“When a flower doesn’t bloom you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.””
“It’s been said that supporting a parent is often the most powerful way to support a child. This is why I do what I do. ”
“Kids do well if they can.” (and parents too!)”
The Jai Institute for Parenting is an internationally recognized organization offering certification in conscious parenting through neuroscience, attachment theory, and emotional intelligence.
Its philosophy is based on:
Connection before correction
Parenting the child you have — not the one you imagined
Rewiring old patterns and healing intergenerational trauma
Integrating nervous system awareness, emotional attunement, and secure attachment
As a Jai Certified Coach, I help you create connection-based, responsive parenting practices grounded in brain science, compassion, and your family’s unique rhythm
.
Go to Jai’s website here:
https://www.jaiinstituteforparenting.com/
Testimonials
“Before coaching with Carolyn, I felt like I was constantly failing my child. She helped me slow down, understand what’s going on under the surface, and respond with connection instead of panic. Everything has shifted — especially my confidence.”
— Amanda M., mother of 7-year-old autistic child
“I’ve done therapy. I’ve read the books. But nothing clicked until I started working with Carolyn. Her lived experience with PDA is what made me feel safe and seen.”
— Jordan S., co-parent of neurodivergent twins
“Carolyn blends professional expertise with a deep, non-judgmental presence. Our home feels calmer, and I finally feel like I’m parenting with intention instead of reacting all the time.”
— Michelle L., mom of 3
“Carolyn has been an incredible support to our team — responsive, knowledgeable, and child-centered. Her insights around PDA gave us new strategies we hadn’t considered, and families felt empowered after her workshop.”
— Director, Early Learning Centre