How to Help a Child With Big Emotions by Modeling Emotional Regulation

Educated Parent: Evidence-Based Parenting Tips to Solve Everyday Parenting Problems

What if the missing piece in your child’s ability to manage their big emotions... is you?

In this episode, I’m diving into one of the most misunderstood (and overlooked) ways to help kids build emotional regulation for kids - and it’s not a new breathing app, another feelings chart, or a gentle parenting script.

It’s you. It’s your own ability to model emotional regulation in real time - teaching emotional regulation by letting your child in on what’s actually going on under your calm surface.

I’ll walk you through why teaching emotional regulation starts with your own internal world - and how to pull back the curtain to help your child actually learn from you.

We’ll talk about what’s missing in most conversations about emotional regulation for kids, how to model managing big emotions without over-sharing or emotionally leaning on your child, and what real-world regulation looks like during everyday parenting chaos.

In this episode, I’ll cover:

• The surprising reason your go-to scripts and strategies aren’t working - and what your child really needs to learn how to manage their big emotions
• Why modeling is the single most powerful tool in your parenting toolbox when it comes to teaching emotional regulation
• A step-by-step breakdown of how to narrate your own frustration (without losing your cool) to build your child’s emotional regulation for kids
• How to recognize the line between vulnerability and oversharing - and still show up as a strong, emotionally attuned parent
• Why your child may be ignoring the breathing exercises you suggest - and how showing, not telling, is the real path to how to help a child with big emotions

If you’ve ever wondered how to help a child with big emotions - this episode is for you.

Listen now to learn practical, evidence-based ways to support your child’s emotional development and feel more confident in your parenting choices - even when big emotions take over.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

EP 5: How to Talk to Kids About Death and the Loss of a Grandparent

LET'S CONNECT:

Thriving Child Center

PCIT Experts

Instagram

Love having expert tips you can actually use? Join our newsletter and get a beautifully designed PDF of each episode’s top 3 takeaways - delivered straight to your inbox every week.

Are you a provider? Subscribe here for professional insights and parenting resources!