5 Phrases to Calm an Angry Child in Under a Minute | Co-Regulation Parenting | E414
About this episode
This episode provides parents with five phrases to effectively calm an angry child in under a minute, emphasizing the importance of co-regulation and understanding emotional responses.
When a child is in meltdown, 30 seconds matter most. The 5 Phrases to Calm an Angry Child in Under a Minute gives parents science-backed tools to calm without escalating the nervous system. Roseann Capanna-Hodge is an expert in Regulation First Parenting™ and emotional dysregulation in children. When your child is angry, those first few seconds can feel chaotic and overwhelming. Your heart races, your voice tightens, and suddenly nothing seems to work. But there is a way to shift the moment—starting with your nervous system and the words you choose. Let me share how to respond in ways that calm the nervous system instead of escalating it—and what parents can do right now. Why does my child explode when I try to calm them down? When your child is already overwhelmed, even calm words can feel like pressure to their nervous system. Anger is not defiance—it’s a full-body survival response where the brain moves into protection mode. The amygdala is in charge , not the thinking brain Logic shuts down when threat is perceived Your child isn’t choosing the reaction—they’re stuck in it Real-life example: You say “calm down,” but your child hears “you’re not safe,” and escalates further…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Roseann Capanna Hodge
Topics covered
- co-regulation parenting
- calming techniques
- emotional dysregulation
- child behavior
- parenting strategies
Keywords
- calm an angry child
- co-regulation
- emotional dysregulation
- parenting help
- child behavior
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