The Nesting Life
Where Connection Takes Root and Hope Grows
Welcome
The Thinking Forest
Where Every Creature Has a Story and Every Problem Holds a Lesson.
The Thinking Forest is a growing collection of story-based learning resources, printable activities, and social-emotional tools that help children develop emotional awareness, confidence, problem-solving skills, and healthy relationships through engaging woodland adventures.
Rooted in trauma-informed, developmentally respectful principles, each resource encourages curiosity, connection, and regulation while honoring the unique strengths, needs, and learning styles of every child. Whether you’re reading together at bedtime, teaching in a classroom, homeschooling, or supporting children through therapy, The Thinking Forest provides practical tools that nurture both learning and belonging.
Designed for homeschool families, classrooms, therapists, and caregivers who believe learning grows best through connection, curiosity, and hope.
As part of The Nesting Life, every story is thoughtfully created to strengthen relationships, encourage resilience, and help children—and the adults who love them—grow together through connection, curiosity, and hope.
Meet Christy
I’m Christy Conner, founder of The Nesting Life, creator of The Nesting™ Parenting Model, and author of The Thinking Forest™.
After more than a decade supporting foster and adoptive families—and raising five incredible neurodivergent children through adoption—I came to understand something that changed the way I viewed parenting forever: meaningful growth begins with connection.
The Nesting Life was created from both my professional experience and my family’s journey. Along
the way, I discovered that children don’t need perfection—they need safe relationships, curious hearts, and adults who are willing to grow alongside them.
Today, my passion is creating story-based learning resources, parenting tools, and educational materials that help children and the adults who love them better understand themselves and one another. Every resource is rooted in trauma-informed, developmentally respectful principles and is designed to nurture connection, regulation, resilience, and hope.
Whether you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, therapist, homeschool family, or simply someone searching for encouragement, I hope you’ll find resources here that help your family grow together.
Because at The Nesting Life, we believe that when connection takes root, hope grows.
Welcome to the nest.
— Christy
The Nesting Parenting Model
Connection-Centered . Trauma -Informed. Developmentally Respectful
Providing resources to empower parents, caregivers, home educators and professionals to support children's needs through connection and regulation.
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Learning Through Connection
