Manage episode 521198800 series 3435785
Some days begin and end in tears; sometimes theirs, sometimes ours. When the storm hits, the most powerful thing we can offer our kids isn’t a perfect script or a quick fix; it’s a steady presence that says, you are safe here. I’m sharing how choosing calm over urgency transforms meltdowns into moments of trust, and why witnessing can do more than convincing ever will.
We unpack the shift from fixing feelings to holding space for them. I talk through real-life moments with my three kids, what changed when I stopped matching their energy, and how co-regulation teaches emotional safety without lectures. You’ll hear two simple tools you can use today: name what’s true—“You’re tired; I’m tired too”—to help both nervous systems downshift, and reflect after the dust settles to build self-awareness and repair. Along the way, we explore boundaries and limits, why stepping away for five minutes can save the moment, and how open body language, gentle tone, and small choices restore a child’s sense of control.
This conversation is for anyone living through toddler tantrums or kid-sized hurricanes and wondering how to stay grounded. You’ll leave with practical steps that fit real life: breathing before reacting, giving options, using an emotions poster or bedtime debriefs, and remembering that presence matters more than perfection.
Your kids don’t need you to be a robot; they need you to be human and consistent, a safe place they can trust when feelings overflow.
If this episode meets you where you are, share it with a friend who needs a reminder that calm is contagious.
Thank you so much for listening in! If this episode spoke to you, it would mean the world to me if you left a review or shared it with a friend. And don’t forget to tag me so I can personally thank you for helping me spread the word.
Follow and chat with me on Instagram:
Podcast account - @thrivelikeamother.podcast
Personal account - @thrive.empowered
Sending you light and love always!
Chapters
1. Modeling Big-Feeling Regulation (00:00:00)
2. Welcome To Thrive Like A Mother (00:00:37)
3. The Reality Of Toddler Meltdowns (00:01:41)
4. A Shift In My Parenting (00:03:36)
5. Choosing To Be The Safe Place (00:05:24)
6. Beauty And Challenge Of Holding Space (00:06:46)
7. From Fixing To Witnessing (00:07:47)
8. Slow Down And Regulate First (00:08:58)
9. Calm Presence Over Matching Energy (00:09:59)
10. Why It Matters: Co-Regulation (00:11:05)
11. Boundaries, Limits, And Humanity (00:12:19)
12. Two Practical Tools: Name And Reflect (00:12:19)
13. Grace, Repair, And Self-Awareness (00:16:00)
14. Weekly Practice And Takeaways (00:17:24)
15. Closing Words And Listener Share (00:20:45)
63 episodes