We hear it from parents so often… how do I help my kid when I’m dysregulated myself? That’s a wise question and one many are wrestling with.
In this episode I’m sharing why we often feel like we’re falling short, what to do about the dysregulation you feel, and 3 simple steps you can start today!
We’ll also talk about why neurodivergent parents may feel more dysregulation. There’s hope, tune it to get started.
Parent Instagram Reel: https://www.instagram.com/p/DXNKZ_bD9Oh/
Retained Reflex Episode: https://yourkidstable.com/retained-primitive-reflexes-parent-guide/
Coregulation episode: https://yourkidstable.com/how-to-co-regulate-with-your-child/
Key Timestamps
02:23 Regulation and nervous system
09:17 Three steps to start
13:05 Notice your dysregulation
16:54 Use a calming tool
22:17 Fill your cup daily
24:52 Slow down and recharge
26:33 Encouragement and next support
Read the Transcript
Welcome to the Connected and Capable podcast. You are here with Alisha Grogan. I am an occupational therapist and I am also a mom, who is living this day in and day outright alongside of those of you that are listening as parents and caregivers. I know we have many, therapists and professionals that listen to you, and I’m just, I’m so grateful.
However you found your way here. That you’re open, that you’re listening, that you’re learning. Listen, I just, I wanna say something because I know that, gosh, in, in this day and age, gosh, that makes me sound old. We just, we have so much information at our fingertips. There’s so much good in that. But man, it can be really overwhelming too.
And it’s really interesting because. And I started your kids table.com back in 2012. I started it because I saw a huge gap and that we didn’t have all of this information yet, and I felt like there were so many parents out there struggling and they didn’t have these tools. Around sensory needs and picky eating, was a big one. And there just there really, because it was 2012, there just really wasn’t a lot of people, sharing that kind of information. But that has changed. That has changed. There are so many voices. There are so much information. There are so many. AI options to put in and you know, now just ask, oh hey, what is this? Or like, what should I do? And, you know, is that information helpful or not?
I, you know, I’m sure it is, it is definitely at times and other times it’s just too much. Um, and so for this podcast, it is so important to me. Uh, that this is not information or sensory overload for you. And, I’m really saying all of this because today’s episode is about. Your regulation, and this is something we’re gonna be talking about a lot more.
Uh, for those of you that are members in our connection hive, you know that we did a one hour kind of guided regulation on this, and you know, that’s in our library. We are going to be putting out a detailed two hour workshop on this later this year. But I hear more than anything right now. That parents feel like they are drowning in their own dysregulation. And I, oh man, I resonate with that. I really, I, I can think of many times I have had that experience myself as a parent. And I think this is particularly true for, parents that also have. A diagnosis themselves, that are neurodivergent themselves may be, a parent has autism or ADHD or an anxiety diagnosis, or truly a slew of other things, that can be going on.
Childhood trauma, just so many different things and layers that you hear these strategies and you learn them. But it’s like, great, that sounds awesome. Thanks for this direction, but. I’m not even sure how to do this because I feel so dysregulated, and we heard this so much in particular this past week because on Instagram,
I posted a reel. Of, me saying basically kind of like a split screen of on one side was, Hey, I’m a parent that sees executive functioning challenges. And on the other side of the screen was, I’m a parent that sees bad behavior. And so the real, which was like three minutes long, goes on to show multiple clips of me responding to my kid as like, this is bad behavior, right?
So I, I say to my, I say to my son off camera, you can’t, I mean, actually there was no kids there, but, you know, I’m acting like I’m talking to a kid and, and I say, oh my gosh, how many times do I have to put your shoes away? Now I’m in a really, I’m in a really calm state right now, so I’m not even really doing this justice if you’ve seen the real, you know what I mean? I was in that moment really acting, and I walked through like, oh, I just found these candy wrappers hidden in the bathroom. And I just like, I can’t take this anymore. Like, you’re, what are you doing?