027- Compassionate Communication and Supporting Intense Kids with Allison Livingston

Welcome back to "Parenting the Intensity!"

In this week's episode we have on Allison Livingston, she is a Parent Coach who transforms families struggling with intense anger or anxiety /hard family dynamics. Allison shares her personal journey with her intense daughter and how nonviolent communication transformed their relationship. Join us as we explore the impact of societal judgment, the power of compassionate communication, and practical strategies for navigating emotionally charged parenting moments. Tune in as we delve into the world of emotionally intense parenting and discover new ways to support our children and ourselves.

3 key takeaways:

1️⃣ Validate Emotions: Prioritize validating children's feelings and experiences to provide support and promote healthy emotional development. Using nonviolent communication and a feeling-first approach can help in this process.

2️⃣ Self-Compassion: Practice self-compassion and grace when learning new parenting methods. Recognize the impact of societal judgment on parenting and learn to manage reactions to judgment through body awareness and self-compassion.

3️⃣ Connect and Regulate: Prioritize recognizing and connecting with emotions before trying to regulate and calm oneself. Implement techniques such as deep breathing, making eye contact, and using mnemonic devices like "S.T.O.P" to maintain a regulated, connected approach to parenting.

"The more I can see what's going on underneath the surface, that's when real connection and real understanding can happen. And that's the core needs of our kids is to be seen and heard and understood."

Connect with Allison Livingston:

Her website: www.5StepsToConnect.com

Instagram: Allison Livingston (@5stepstoconnect) • Instagram photos and videos

Make sure to subscribe to our podcast for future episodes and leave a rating and review, that helps us get in front of more parents. Don't forget to check out the resources mentioned on our website at www.parentingtheintensity.ca

Join the "Parenting the Intensity Community" to find the right things that works for YOUR child and adapt them to YOUR reality.

To be able to enjoy your life and kids, not always being afraid of the next outburst

Take a deep breath, keep going, we’re all in this together!

Music by Oleksii Kaplunskyi from Pixabay