The entire parenting journey is a mix of joy, anticipation, caution, some worry, and a lot of unknowns! Each experience brings emotions! When the emotion is overwhelming, we can catch ourselves becoming dis-regulated.

This season Mackenzie and Lori have highlighted the important aspects of keeping regulated while parenting. Both adults and kids can become dis-regulated when things don’t go as planned or when what you thought you had things figured out, but then something happens to complicate a situation.

Staying regulated means that we can have an experience and also have the tools needed to react to the situation in a way that is calm, and thoughtful. It means we react and make good decisions because we are not being held captive by our emotions.

As parents we can consider our child’s individual temperament and their age and stage in life as we assist them in navigating big emotions and situations that can lead to dis-regulation.   In addition, we can create environments that support regulation by being intentional about meeting the three basic needs all of us, including our children have for independence, mastery, and belonging.

When we model good decision making skills, while regulated, everyone in the family benefits.

Barb Dunn Swanson

With two earned degrees from Iowa State University, Barb is a Human Sciences Specialist utilizing her experience working alongside communities to develop strong youth and families! With humor and compassion, she enjoys teaching, listening and learning to learn!

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