03/06/2026
Example: “I’m feeling really frustrated right now and it’s making it hard for me to communicate. I just need a minute to reconnect with myself.”
If you’re sitting here going… “yeah but how do they know what they did was wrong?” They will understand, when they are mature enough. But before you collaborate with your child to find a solution, you need to check-in with yourself. When we take the time to check-in and connect with ourselves before we try to make sense of the situation, we’re more likely to respond, instead of react. What if my child is continuing to hit me or someone else? This is tough because both nervous systems are in sympathetic. You can meet both your needs with a co-regulation strategy that uses force. I like the “push me over game.” I put my palms up and brace myself and my child uses only their palms to try and push me over; highly effective nervous system reset. You can also try to push against a wall if another person is not available.
Learn more about connection, co-regulation and deepening the parent-child bond in my latest book 👇
Finding Your Calm: A Responsive Parent’s Guide to Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation
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