The clock says 3 a.m., but your mind won’t switch off. You can still feel your child’s legs wrapped around your waist at changeover, hear the cry that says "stay", and taste the guilt of agreeing to overnights that never felt right. You were told kids “adapt,” that “equal time” is always best. What if that advice ignores how young brains and bodies actually develop?

We walk through the real signs of attachment strain - full-body clinging, sleep disruption, toileting regressions, and meltdowns that linger after return - and connect them to what the research shows about frequent overnights for children under four years. Drawing on peer‑reviewed, government‑commissioned findings from the Australian Institute of Family Studies, we explain why predictability with a primary attachment figure is protective, how stress systems in toddlers react to repeated separations, and how “fairness to adults” can conflict with child development. Then we offer a clear alternative.

Knowing the evidence is only half the battle. We unpack the protective parenting framework - knowledge, capacity, and strategic implementation - so you can hold your position when pressure rises.

The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint is available now - learn more using this link.

About Danielle Black:

Danielle Black is a respected authority in child-focused post-separation parenting in Australia, helping parents cut through professional pressure and harmful myths to make decisions based on what children actually need.

Having navigated her own complex separation and divorce, and guided hundreds of clients to successful outcomes, Danielle provides evidence-based strategies that challenge inappropriate arrangements and put children's wellbeing first.

The Post-Separation Abuse Podcast helps listeners to understand the nuances of ongoing control and other forms of abuse after separation, and challenges harmful myths about post-separation parenting and provides evidence-based guidance for protective parents.

Ready to transform your approach to parenting after separation?

The Post-Separation Parenting Blueprint™ is your roadmap to optimising child-centred parenting arrangements after separation. Based on evidence, and the foundation of Danielle's proprietary coaching framework, the Blueprint is designed to support protective parents from prior to separation, through to creating parenting plans, or obtaining parenting court orders, and beyond. Learn more by visiting the website: danielleblackcoaching.com.au

Follow Danielle on Instagram: @danielleblackcoaching

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