A parenting conversation centers on a parent’s bedtime breaking point after an early workday. During toothbrushing, children appear happy and playful while still engaging in disruptive behavior like tipping over water and spilling it. The parent reaches a point of losing patience despite the children’s good mood. Big Little Feelings founders recommend sensory regulation strategies for parents before they snap. One suggestion is to create physical grounding rituals, such as leaning against a wall, to help regulate the nervous system during heightened emotion. The approach also aims to model healthy coping skills for children in real time, using strong sensory cues nearby.
"“They're all happy, they're laughing,” Dylan said of her boys during the nightly toothbrushing routine. “But they're like play fighting... they're not really brushing their teeth, they're doing this, they're tipping over the water, spilling it all over the place, and I am just ready to lose my mind.”"
"Or, as she more bluntly put it: “I'm done.” The confession prompted knowing laughter from Margolin and Gallant, who have built Big Little Feelings around helping parents navigate emotional overwhelm. Margolin is a licensed marriage and family therapist, while Gallant is a parent educator and mental health advocate. Together, they've become go-to guides for exhausted parents."
"Their advice for Dylan was grounded in practical sensory regulation. Gallant suggested that overwhelmed parents create physical grounding rituals for themselves before they hit the snapping point, not only to calm their own nervous systems, but also to model healthy coping skills for their kids in real time."
"“Lean against a wall,” she advised, explaining that the physical pressure can help regulate the nervous system in moments of heightened emotion. She also recommended keeping strong sensory cues nearby"
Read at TODAY.com
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