For the nights that fall apart, and the parent holding it together.
LightMap logs the hard moment in seconds and finds the pattern underneath. Muse answers your questions with insight drawn from your own child's logged moments — the kind no other chatbot could see.
Find out why it keeps happening14 days of everything, free. You add a card to begin, nothing is charged until day 14, and you can cancel anytime in Settings.
LightMap™
Track tough moments. Find what's underneath.
✦ Bright Spot
▤ Story Note
Sam · 7 days
He knew it wasn't real but it scared him and he asked for parents to check…
Intensity 3/5
Intensity 3/5
Dropped backpack, cried about homework.
Intensity 4/5
Stalled at the door for 20 min before school.
Intensity 3/5
Covered ears at the grocery store, needed to leave.
Intensity 4/5
Intensity 2/5
View all in History →
✦ LightMap Muse
A thoughtful companion · understands Sam's patterns
I think the after-school meltdowns are getting worse
You're seeing it accurately — and I'm sorry it's been getting heavier. Over the last three weeks, Sam's 3–5 pm meltdowns have gone from twice a week to nearly daily, and the intensity is climbing too.
With an ADHD diagnosis, this pattern has a name — often called after-school restraint collapse. All day his brain works overtime to sit still, follow directions, mask frustration, and switch tasks on someone else's schedule. By pickup, there's almost nothing left in the tank, so home — the safest place — is where it finally comes out.
A few things that often help in the first hour home: 1) protect a quiet decompression window — no questions, no homework, low light/sound; 2) offer a predictable snack + movement combo (he's likely hungry and under-moved); 3) delay every non-urgent demand until after dinner; 4) narrate what you see ("your body looks really done") so he doesn't have to find the words.
If you only try one thing this week, I'd start with the quiet decompression window — it's the smallest change and usually the one that softens everything that follows.
Want to sketch out what that first hour could look like tomorrow?
How it fits together
One Method. Two ways in.
Birch & Light is built around one repeatable process: understand what is underneath, connect before correcting, and apply what you learn in daily life.
Understand
See what is underneath.
Connect
Build shared language.
Apply
Carry it into daily life.
Path 1 · Planned story work
Begin with a story. The grown-up understands first, the family connects through the story and companion pages, then LightMap helps carry what surfaced into daily life.
Path 2 · A hard moment happens
Begin in LightMap. Log what happened, see the pattern, and talk it through with Muse. Use a relevant story or other resource later when it would help.
The resources
Use what fits your family right now.
These resources support the Method. They are not extra steps — reach for the ones that help in the season you are in.
Always free
- Illustrated stories in the browser
- Songs
- Deep Dive podcasts
- Parent articles
No account or membership needed.
Included with membership
- LightMap, Muse, patterns, and reports
- Complete Story Experience companions: parent guides, conversation cards, reflection pages, coloring pages, and printable bundles
- Foundations: The Birch & Light Course
- Toolkit workbooks and premium downloads
Included during the activated 14-day full-membership trial and with paid membership.
Available individually
- Toolkit workbooks and standalone downloads in the Shop
- Selected Story Experience bundles on Gumroad
Prefer one resource instead of membership? Selected workbooks and Story Experience bundles can be purchased separately in the Shop.
Membership puts the complete support system in one place.
Membership does not replace the Method. It gives you the full set of tools for using it: LightMap for real-life patterns, complete Story Experiences for planned work, Foundations for learning the approach, and the Toolkit for focused practice.
Included with membership · in detail
The Birch & Light Method course
Eight short video lessons that turn the whole approach into calm, confident skills — a real training, included.
Every Story Experience
Parent guides, conversation cards, printables, and coloring — for every book.
A Deep Dive for every story
Calm conversations that unpack what's underneath the behavior.
Songs for kids & grown-ups
Original music, often told from the characters’ point of view, that gives children and parents another way into the feelings and ideas behind each story.
A report you can bring to your child's care team
Share a warm, read-only summary — or a printable PDF — with a therapist, teacher, or co-parent. Built from the moments you've already logged, so months of history show up in one place.
And every workbook in the Toolkit, on the house. The full Fast Brain series plus What's Underneath — $30 of downloads, yours at no extra cost.
Some full Story Experiences are also available as standalone downloadable bundles for families who prefer one-time purchases. The Boy at the Edge is available now, with more coming soon.
View standalone downloads on GumroadSave 36% compared to monthly ($56.88 less than monthly) · 2 weeks free, then $99/year
Less than a single doctor’s appointment.
Stories, songs, and podcasts stay free without a membership.
For your child's care team
Walk into your next appointment with the whole picture — not just the last hard day.
Every moment you capture in LightMap quietly builds a shared picture you can hand to a therapist, teacher, pediatrician, or co-parent. No screenshots, no scrambling to remember what happened three weeks ago. Just the calm, organized view that used to take hours to pull together.
Weekly Report (PDF)
This week vs. last week, designed for a quick therapist or co-parent check-in.
Full Report (PDF)
The complete picture for a date range you choose — patterns, time-of-day, what helped, story notes, and a chronological log.
Read-only share link
Send a secure, revocable link a provider can open in any browser. You choose whether your private notes are included.
LightMap is a parent tool, not a clinical record. It's designed to complement the work your child's care team is already doing — never replace it.
Questions parents ask
What's included with the Birch & Light Membership?+
How does the free trial work?+
Can I cancel anytime?+
What if I already bought a Story Experience or subscribed to LightMap?+
How much does Birch & Light cost?+
For families who want personalized support, membership is $12.99/month or $99/year, and starts with 14 days free. You add a card to begin, nothing is charged until day 14, and you can cancel anytime in Settings.
Membership includes LightMap™, personalized insights, Muse AI support, every Story Experience companion, printable PDFs, parent guides, conversation cards, reflection pages, coloring packs, and all future premium tools we add.
Stories, songs, and podcasts can always be enjoyed for free. Membership unlocks the personalized tools, guidance, and support designed to help families go deeper.