You've said "calm down" a thousand times.

It never works.

Your child is drowning in their emotions, and you feel completely helpless because nothing you try makes it better.

Here's what's actually happening: Your child isn't choosing to stay dysregulated. They literally cannot calm themselves down in that moment. Their thinking brain is offline, and they need YOU to help them regulate. This is called co-regulation—and it's the most important parenting skill you'll ever learn.

In this episode, you'll discover:

- Why "calm down" makes meltdowns worse (and what actually works)

- The neuroscience behind why your child can't think or reason when they're escalated

- Exactly how to co-regulate at every age (toddlers through teens)

- Why this strategy is a game-changer for ADHD and autistic kids

- What to do when your child won't let you near them during a meltdown

By the end of this episode, you'll understand how to use your calm nervous system to help your child's dysregulated nervous system settle—and why this is the foundation for every other parenting strategy you'll ever use.

www.climbingfishparenting.com

Your kid isn't broken. Your parenting isn't broken. Sometimes we're just asking our fish to climb trees. That's what we fix here.

Dr. Kristi