The early years of parenting bring meaningful milestones, new challenges, and plenty of questions. To help families navigate this important stage, Coastal Therapy Group and McCammack Pediatrics are partnering to present Parenting the Early Years, a free three-part parenting seminar series taking place on November 2, 9, and 16 in Carlsbad, California.
Led by licensed child psychologist C. Julieta Aguilera Rice, PhD, and pediatrician Brad McCammack, MD, the series will offer parents and caregivers of children approximately 1 to 5 years old practical, research-informed guidance on some of the most common challenges of early childhood.
Each 90-minute session will combine psychological and pediatric perspectives, with time for questions and practical strategies families can begin using at home. Parents may attend one session or all three.
“We want parents to have a place to ask questions, better understand their children, and leave with tools they can actually use in everyday life,” said the organizing team at Coastal Therapy Group. “By bringing psychological and pediatric perspectives together, we hope to make reliable information more accessible to families during these formative years.”
Three Sessions Focus on Everyday Parenting Challenges
The series will feature three standalone Monday-morning sessions, each addressing a different aspect of early childhood development.
- Monday, November 2 | Rest, Routines, and Regressions: The Science of Sleep and Structure. Explore children's changing sleep needs, bedtime routines, separation anxiety, nighttime fears, and strategies for creating calmer evenings.
- Monday, November 9 | Food, Battles, and Body: Nurturing Healthy Eaters from the Start. Learn about picky eating, growth and nutrition, sensory sensitivities, and ways to reduce mealtime power struggles while supporting a healthy relationship with food.
- Monday, November 16 | The Co-Regulation Toolkit: Managing Tantrums, Meltdowns, and Big Feelings. Understand the factors behind tantrums and emotional overwhelm, explore de-escalation and co-regulation strategies, and discuss the relationship between stress, screen time, and young children's behavior.
All sessions will run from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at The Lullabar, located at 7750 El Camino Real, Suite M, Carlsbad, CA 92009.
Accessible, Practical Support for North County Families
The seminar series is free to attend, with advance registration required. To encourage meaningful conversation and allow time for questions, attendance is limited to 20 seats per session.
Babies and young children are welcome. Optional on-site childcare is available through The Lullabar for $25 per child for two hours, with advance reservations required. Each seminar participant will also receive a $10 café credit to use at The Lullabar.
The sessions are educational in nature and are designed to help parents better understand early childhood development, distinguish common developmental challenges from concerns that may warrant further attention, and discover practical ways to support their children and themselves.
About the Presenters
C. Julieta Aguilera Rice, PhD, is a licensed psychologist at Coastal Therapy Group. She holds a doctorate in School and Applied Child Psychology from McGill University and has completed advanced training at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and Children's Hospital Orange County. Her clinical work focuses on children, families, and relationships, and she leads Coastal Therapy Group's Connected Parenting group.
Brad McCammack, MD, is a Carlsbad pediatrician and founder of McCammack Pediatrics. A graduate of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, he completed his pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital and spent 12 years at Vista Community Clinic before establishing his practice, which emphasizes accessible, relationship-centered pediatric care.
Registration and Additional Information
Parents and caregivers can review the session topics and reserve their seats online at: