Rock Solid Families Podcast - Calming Your Child's Emotional Storms - Episode 254

Rock Solid Families - EP254 - Calming Your Child's Emotional Storms

Co-Host - Meredith Scudder - Assistant Director at Rock Solid Families

Regulating our emotions is not about suppressing them, but rather about learning to respond instead of react. By modeling calmness and practicing co-regulation, we can create a safe space for our children to navigate the storms of life.

In this episode of the Rock Solid Families podcast, Merrill and Linda are joined by guest co-host and returning contributor, Meredith Scudder.  The team dives into a big topic in parenting, helping your child develop emotional awareness and regulation skills.  They discuss the necessity of co-regulation, the important role parents play in mastering their emotions, and setting the stage for their children to mirror healthy behaviors.

Listeners are introduced to an intuitive hand model of the brain, a tool aimed at demystifying emotions and their regulation for both parents and children alike. Filled with actionable insights, the episode advises parents on techniques like aligning physically with the child's height, harnessing the power of gentle tones, and tapping into the calming effects of deep breaths. 

Throughout their discussion, the hosts continually return to the importance of proactive emotional management. They urge parents to be alert to their personal emotional triggers and, crucially, to take a beat before responding, ensuring a more considered, controlled reaction. Balancing compassion with discipline, they discuss the significance of acknowledging children's feelings while concurrently setting clear behavioral limits. They emphasize the value of being fully present, even when it means embracing moments of discomfort, and champion seeking authentic emotion-regulating strategies over easy digital diversions.

Key Takeaways:

Mastering our emotions sets a precedent for our children.Employ the hand model of the brain for a tangible grasp on emotions and their regulation.Recognize personal triggers and practice the pause, enabling a thoughtful response.Amid the parenting journey, bestow grace abundantly, both to oneself and one's children.

Quotes

“I have so many teens that they're struggling to go to their parents to talk about things that are going on because they're scared of their parents' reaction, which then I have to help them see that reaction is more fear-based for the parent. The parent's scared or worried or they're sad, their child's going through something. when they aren't taking the time to kind of collect themselves and regulate, they're then reacting and it's coming off scary to the child.” (16:45 | Meredith) AUDIOGRAM“Well, and as a parent, be okay with modeling to your child, like, hey, I'm actually not in a good space right now to talk. I'm feeling frustrated too. I need to take a minute. And respecting your child when they're not in the space either. So if you, as the parent, take a step back and collect yourself, and then you're ready to talk, if your child's not ready to talk, don't push it. Still make sure you come back to it. You'll have your time.” (20:56 | Meredith)“I really want to warn parents, please do not use screens at any age as a co-regulating. It's not. It's actually a deregulating tool.” (30:23 | Linda) Quote

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