Claire Lerner LCSW-C

About

Claire Lerner, LCSW-C, is a licensed clinical social worker and child development specialist. She served as the Director of Parenting Resources at ZERO TO THREE for more than 18 years, overseeing the development of all parenting educational content.

Claire is the author of hundreds of resources for parents and professionals, including curricula on early development and parenting, as well as a podcast and video series. She is the author of Why Is My Child In Charge? Claire writes a column for PBSparents.org and has also written columns for Parenting: The Early Years and American Baby Magazines. She is frequently quoted in other parenting publications and has been a source on early childhood development for NPR and numerous national daily newspapers such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe and the London Times.

Claire has also been a practicing clinician for over 33 years, partnering with parents to understand the behavior and development of their young children. In addition, she provides consultation and training to local preschools and pediatric residents.

Claire has also participated on numerous national advisory panels and task forces related to early child development including the National Parenting Education Network and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Committee on Early Childhood Development.

Claire received a B.A. with High Distinction in Psychology from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and an MSW from New York University Graduate School of Social Work. She also received a Certificate in Infant Mental Health from Wayne State University.

Books by Claire Lerner LCSW-C

Recent Posts

Do Parents Always Need to Validate Children's Feelings?

Validating children's feelings at the expense of setting limits and helping kids learn to cope is neither helpful nor loving.

The Trouble With Transitions

Transitions can be taxing and feel overwhelming, resulting in kids' resistance to moving on, even to activities they typically love. Here are ways to help them through. ⁠

"I Don't Want to Talk About It"

Helping children understand how their thoughts and feelings affect their behavior is critical for long-term emotional health.

Demand Avoidance: Why Kids Refuse to Follow Directions

“Demand avoidance” is a knee-jerk, defiant reaction to any direction to cooperate with a task or to make a transition, and thus can be very challenging for parents to manage.

When Children Live at the Extremes—All Good or All Bad

Kids who are big reactors often experience life in extremes. Trying to change their minds backfires. Here is what helps.

How to Deal With a Child's Dictatorial Demands

Highly sensitive children tend to demand immediate need fulfillment due to their low tolerance for discomfort. What they need is validation coupled with limits to learn to wait.

How to Support and Not Enable Highly Sensitive Children

There is a roadmap for supporting highly sensitive children, who are wired to register and react to experiences more intensely.

You Are an Emotional Support Parent, Not a Helicopter Parent

Helping big reactors cope with a world that can feel overwhelming requires more scaffolding and support than other kids need. Big reactors' parents are not "helicoptering."

Your Child Can Be Strategic, Not Manipulative

When parents see their children as strategic vs. manipulative, they are able to respond with the clear and loving limits kids need to learn to manage not getting what they want.

Helping Avoidant Kids Muscle Through Challenges and Fears

Kids who want to stay in their comfort zone need parents to create opportunities for them to face challenges in a supportive way.