Katie Stacey Published on: 20/04/2026A four year old, a bowl of dry cereal, and a Monday morning disaster. What the science of the developing brain taught me — and why the hard moments are part of the gift, not the opposite of it.
by: Katie StaceyPublished on: 23/04/2026If your child is awaiting assessment or has a diagnosis, this is for you. What the science says about nature, neurodivergence and the conditions that help children regulate
I spent a decade as a wildlife journalist documenting how environments shape behaviour — from Peregrine Falcons in Chicago, to otter families in Singapore, the return of wildlife to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to the return of wildlife to our finca in Asturias. Then I had children.
And I realised I'd been studying parenting all along.
The same principle that restores ecosystems restores families. You don't force change, you restore the conditions.
That insight became The Wild Shift™.
Wildlife journalist — BBC Wildlife, National Geographic, Geographical
Author of No Paradise with Wolves (Earth Books, 2025)
Founder of The Wild Shift™ and the ROOTS Framework™ — a nature-led parenting methodology for parents of children aged 10 and under.
A weekly note for parents who want to understand their children more deeply — and change the conditions, not the behaviour.
Real stories.
Small shifts that actually work.
Backed by science.
Every week I share one idea, one story or one shift that helps family life feel steadier — rooted in nature, grounded in science, tested in real life.
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