Correction Before Correction: Rethinking the Way We Parent with Haide Wall Giesbrecht

Haide (Heidi) Wall-Giesbrecht - Bio

* Writer & Content Creator: Author’s reflections and essays focusing on encouragement, the ordinary, and the sacred along life’s journey (including pieces like Fence to Fields).

* Counselor & Educator Support: Works professionally as a counselor supporting students and educators.

* Core Values & Philosophy: Emphasizes authenticity, showing up as her genuine self across all spaces, and encouraging others intentionally.

* Current Projects: Writing a book pitch, pursuing a TED Talk, and engaging in creative practices like The Artist’s Way.

Talking Points: Correction Before Correction: Rethinking the Way We Parent

Framing

Most parenting advice begins at the moment of the child’s behavior. The research begins earlier with the state of the adult in the room.

The question is not how do I correct this child. It is what am I correcting from. The correction delivered while dysregulated teaches something different from the one delivered while regulated, even when the words are identical.

The first correction in any household is the one the parent makes to themselves.

The Mismatch Finding

Tronick et al. (1978) introduced the still-face paradigm, in which mothers drop their expression to a blank mask mid-interaction. The infant’s distress is immediate and observable.