Transform Your Parent-Employees Into Your Greatest Asset

Did you know that over 50% of young children experience sleep problems? This alarming statistic directly impacts your workforce. When children struggle to sleep, their parents do too—resulting in diminished performance, creativity, and productivity at work.

At Ascend Behavioral Consulting, we specialize in turning the exhaustion of parent-employees into energy and engagement.

Our evidence-based Pediatric Sleep Support provides expert guidance tailored to the unique needs of working parents. Through interactive Coffee Chats, dynamic keynotes and workshops, and personalized interventions, we empower parents to understand the behavioral and biological factors influencing their child's sleep. The result? Restful nights lead to productive days.

Imagine your team:
☑️ More engaged and productive 
☑️ Unlocking their creativity and innovation 
☑️ Making stronger decisions and exhibiting enhanced leadership 
☑️ Reducing absenteeism 
☑️ Driving increased revenue 

Ready to elevate your organization? Let’s collaborate to create a robust support system for your parent-employees that fosters well-being and boosts overall performance.

Message me today to explore how we can work together to transform your workplace into a thriving environment for all!

Yesterday I got a call from a parent who hasn’t slept through the night in, drumroll please…

12 years.

Yes, you read that right.

She has been sleep deprived longer than most people spend in college, starting their first job, and buying their first home combined.

And it's not the first time I've heard this story.

Yet it’s a shock for a lot of employers to consider that sleep deprivation doesn’t end when maternity leave does.

Parents are exhausted —and that exhaustion quietly affects performance, engagement, and team culture.

I’m launching a new LinkedIn newsletter next week to unpack the hidden cost of sleepless nights — and how workplaces can better support parents.

Stay tuned for actionable insights for families and organizations!

Kelsey LeBlanc, BCBA, LABA

Helping companies improve parent-employee sleep to increase profits, productivity, and performance with practical sleep strategies || Pediatric Behavioral Sleep Specialist || Corporate Consultant || Speaker

With gratitude on my mind this week (even more than usual), my son said something at bedtime last night that stopped me in my tracks.

Every night, I give him a kiss when I tuck him in.

But last night?

He put his little hand right over the spot where I kissed him, pressed it gently, and said:

“I pushed in your kiss. It spreads the love more into me.”

I mean… 🥹 

If that’s not a reminder of what really matters, I don’t know what is.

In the middle of busy schedules, holiday chaos, and all the pressures we carry as parents, our kids ask for the simplest things:

Presence.
Connection.
A moment that feels like love settling in.

Wishing you a Thanksgiving week filled with more of those moments — the ones that don’t require perfection, planning, or performance.

Just a little more love pressed in.

The recovery stats? Insanity.

Parents don’t recover their sleep to pre-child levels until their child is six years old.

And in my experience?

That’s if they’re lucky. And if they only have one kid.

That number changed how I think about parental support — because exhaustion doesn’t end when parental leave does.

It lingers through toddlerhood, school years, and every late-night worry that follows.

The first issue of The Sleep Edge digs into what that means for focus, performance, and culture at work.

In case you missed it on Tuesday, check it out using the link in the comments. 

Next up: Bedtime Battles — How toddler sleep struggles ripple through the workplace.

Don't miss it!

Serious PSA for any parents considering starting an Elf on the Shelf tradition:


I beg you- do NOT unintentionally sentence yourself to years of creating elaborate nightly productions. 

Unless this is truly your thing… and nothing brings you more joy at the end of a thousand-hour, dark, freezing December day than cleaning up last night’s elf chaos at 8:30 pm, only to start prepping tonight’s scene (which, let’s be honest, required a little internet research because it’s only year two and you’re already out of ideas).

If that is you—you are amazing, and I absolutely want to see photos of your masterpieces!

But if you're like me, just the idea of this is exhausting.

There is more than enough on the to-do list this time of year, and once kid bedtime is done, this mama is TIRED.

So when we started our tradition, we intentionally made it more of a simple scavenger hunt.

Where did Twinkle (our elf) and Sven (our Reindeer) land last night? Are they hiding under the kitchen table? Or just casually hanging out in plain sight, waiting to watch us decorate the Christmas tree?

Either way, our 6-year-old is always excited to see where our little buddies will show up in the morning, and it takes me about 10 seconds to move them after bedtime (or more accurately, after my "elf reminder" alarm goes off).

Magical and sustainable 🙌 

What's your Elf style?

Today’s the day! 🥳 

If you caught my post last week, you already know what’s coming — and I’m so excited to share it.

Today, I’m officially launching The Sleep Edge, my new LinkedIn newsletter for professional parents and the leaders who support them.

In this first issue, I’m digging into why so many parents are still exhausted years after returning to work… and how that chronic fatigue quietly affects performance, engagement, and culture.

Plus: practical steps parents and managers can take to make things better — starting now!

If you do take a moment to read it — thank you. Truly.

I’m building this newsletter for the parents who are showing up tired, and for the leaders who genuinely want to support them. 

If it helps you feel a little more understood, or gives you something useful to bring back to your team, then it’s doing what it’s meant to do.

I hope you enjoy it!

When I first started researching and treating pediatric sleep issues, I came across a study claiming that parents don’t recover to their pre-child sle

Open article: Beyond the Newborn Stage: Why Parental Exhaustion Still Lingers by Kelsey LeBlanc, BCBA, LABA • 4 min read

Beyond the Newborn Stage: Why Parental Exhaustion Still Lingers

Ok, confession time.


I used to hate public speaking.

I dreaded it. Lived in fear of that unmistakable Irish flush that gave away every ounce of nerves and every tiny mistake.

But everything shifts when you’re speaking about something you know inside and out— something you care about deeply, something that actually helps people.

Now I get to walk into rooms (virtual and otherwise) and talk about pediatric sleep— a topic that isn’t just close to my heart, but is genuinely life-changing for the families I work with.

I get to connect with exhausted parents and overwhelmed teams.
To help people go from crisis to breathing.
To let their shoulders drop.
To feel human.

Funny how the thing I once feared most has become the thing that feels most natural.

What’s a topic you could talk about for hours because it lights you up?

This morning, my family and I are playing the ultimate pre-Thanksgiving game: 

“Will the 2-hour drive to grandma’s actually take 2 hours… or six?”

Will we actually make the tee time and the preschool Thanksgiving show? 

Who knows!

We’re living on the edge 😉

As parents, we all know this kind of chaos isn’t just limited to holiday travel. 

Sleep deprivation, meltdowns, and last-minute surprises seem to follow us — but the little moments of connection among the madness make it all worth it.

So here’s my pre-Thanksgiving wish: may your travels be smooth(ish), your kids mostly cooperative, your coffee strong, and your naps opportunistic.

To parents, caregivers, and the colleagues supporting them: you make the chaos manageable — and meaningful.

People Managers: What if the reason parents were anxious to return from leave had nothing to do with leaving their baby?

Ok, maybe that’s part of it!

But for many of the parents I work with, it’s the fear of not being able to function at work because they’re so exhausted.

They worry about nodding off in meetings… barely being able to form complete sentences, let alone complete complex projects… 

or in one client’s case (a critical care nurse), making small mistakes that could cost lives.

In high-stakes jobs, you can’t afford for parents to be off their game.

That’s why it’s so important to make supports for parents visible, easy to access, and judgment-free.

Because when parents are rested and confident, everyone wins.

Curious what this could look like in your workplace? Let’s talk.

The most important question this Thanksgiving is:

(according to my husband, at least)

Will you be able to sneak in a post-turkey nap?! 

Actually, for him it's a non-negotiable, "it's not thanksgiving without it" guarantee. His favorite nap of the year.

How about you?

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's always those single line emails.


"Thanks for checking in and for helping us get here. It feels really good to sleep again."

Relief.

For herself.
For her family.
For the career that she worked so hard to build—and wasn’t willing to lose to exhaustion.

It feels really good to read, too.

Does anyone ever NOT want a cup of coffee??

Day or night, exhausted or gloriously rested, I still want coffee.

Coffee is definitely one of my love languages!

But for most sleep-deprived parents, the truth is they don't need another cup of coffee.

They don't need more caffeine or cute perks.

They need solutions. They need strategy.

And here’s the good news: that strategy has real ROI.

Parent and caregiver support reduces turnover, absenteeism, and burnout.

Sleep health programs cut presenteeism, healthcare costs, and fatigue.

Put them together?

That’s where the impact multiplies.

Because when parents are supported and they’re actually sleeping, you don’t just get happier employees — you get a workforce that can sustain high performance.

This isn’t about perks. It’s about capacity.

And the companies that understand that are the ones pulling ahead.

All those sleep rules?

They don’t actually matter.

At least not all the time.

This past Sunday night, I knowingly ignored every guideline.

After washing my face and brushing my teeth at my regular wind-down time, I just stopped and looked at myself in the mirror. 

I felt exhausted, but I wasn't ready to sleep.

My husband was still downstairs on the couch, and that's where I wanted to be too.

It had been a tough day, and while my brain knew that getting a good night's sleep was the best strategy for a better day tomorrow, deep down I knew what I really needed.

A few beers, some snacks, and a few rounds of Jeopardy on the couch with my best friend.

So that's what I did. And while I certainly wasn't at 100% performance on Monday, I was surprised to find that I wasn't nearly as drained as I expected to be. 

Because the exhaustion I had been feeling wasn't entirely about sleep.

This made me reflect on why our kids sometimes push back at bedtime, even when we know they're tired.

Their “procrastination” can look a lot like mine did—especially now, with all the excitement and chaos of the holidays around them.

But they aren’t trying to frustrate us—they’re seeking connection.

Yes, it’s our job to make sure they get adequate rest, but there’s also room to be human. 

To laugh, to linger, and to connect. Even just for a short while.

As this year comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to remember: routines matter—but so do joy, connection, and a little grace for ourselves and our kids.

Sometimes, the best gift we can give—both to ourselves and to them—is just a few more minutes together.

Let's play a little game.

I like to call it:

Testing or Tired??

When I first started my private practice, I mostly treated daytime behavior challenges.

Pediatricians and therapists were sending over kids who were constantly tantruming at home, causing problems at school, and draining everyone around them — parents, siblings, grandparents, teachers.

Their parents came to me for behavior support, but often with questions like: 

Do you think my child has ADHD?
A mood disorder?
A learning disability?
Should we be looking into testing?

The common thread? Every parent reported sleep problems.

Once we addressed those sleep issues, the behavior problems often vanished — or at least drastically improved.

Tomorrow, I’m chatting with McClatchy Media's Parents ERG about this exact topic.

Sleep deprivation in kids is tricky — it doesn’t always look like yawns or nap requests. 

It can show up as hyperactivity, mood swings, selective hearing, or the sudden ability to argue about… literally everything. 

Misread it, and you might think it’s a behavior problem… when it’s really lack of sleep.

We’ll unpack the science, share stories, and dive into some slightly dramatic (but true!) examples.

A huge thank you to Efren Castillo and Kelli Estes, SPHR for helping bring this event to life!

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