I often think and talk a lot about our ability to manage our emotions as parents. It’s the cornerstone of essentially all the strategies that we use to support children. Keeping our own internal resources (rest, nutrition, exercise, etc.) up is foundational to be able to keep our cool in the face of a tiny, unraveling (or worse still-- exploding) human. But keeping your resources high is obviously not the only secret to managing your response.

February 2025

A parent came to my office recently to discuss a challenge they have recently been experiencing with their child. The parent described their responses, their efforts to communicate and even explained the thinking that justified their decisions. They were able to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of holding boundaries for the benefit of their child. But they felt like they were missing something because their child’s pattern of frustrating behavior persisted.