Listen to Audio
Often when our little kids are throwing a fit or our big kids are acting disrespectful, we think the best way to get their attention is to raise our voice and “match pitch” with whatever fire they're spewing.
What if we told you there was a better, less emotionally damaging way? But it is also way WAY harder...
The better way to deal with a rise of emotion is to diffuse the situation by seeking to understand. Our kids have big, huge, gigantic, massive, explosive, insane, and untamed emotions. We are talking about toddlers and teenagers over here – emotional volatility can be at an all-time high!
Here is what you do:
1. Take a deep breath (don’t let their emotions control you)
2. Look them in the eye and tell them you love them (hold them close if they are little/will let you)
3. Ask them to take a deep breath
4. Ask them what is so upsetting
5. Try and have a conversation
Sometimes emotions are too high and the best thing to do is step away and revisit the conversation when everyone is in a better place. But sometimes you, as the parent, need to take control of your emotions and seek to understand. This is exactly what the child needs to get to the other side.
Just try diffusing instead of fueling... who knows? It might just work!
