When Calm Words Don’t Work: What the Nervous System Is Trying to Tell You | Nervous System Strategies l E399
About this episode
This episode discusses the challenges parents face when calm words fail to reach their children during emotional escalations and offers insights into understanding the nervous system's role in these situations.
When calm words don’t work, many parents feel stuck as their child escalates despite every effort to stay calm. This episode explains what the nervous system is signaling and how to respond effectively. Featuring insights from Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, a leading expert in Regulation First Parenting™ and emotional dysregulation in children. If you’ve ever felt like your efforts aren’t landing, you’re not alone. Many parents are doing everything “right” while their child still struggles. The answer isn’t more words—it’s understanding the nervous system and meeting your child where they are. In this episode, I share why calm communication sometimes fails, what’s happening in the brain during escalation, and a simple, practical strategy to help both you and your child regulate in real time. Why are my calm words not working when my child is upset? When your child is in an anxiety response, their nervous system has shifted into survival mode. In that state, the sympathetic nervous system takes over, and the thinking brain essentially goes offline. That means: Reasoning, listening, and problem-solving are not accessible Your child may seem like they “can’t hear you” Calm phrases like…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Roseann Capanna Hodge
Topics covered
- nervous system
- parenting strategies
- emotional dysregulation
- calm communication
- behavior management
Keywords
- nervous system
- calm communication
- emotional dysregulation
- parenting
- behavior management
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