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Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
In this episode of Kids With Big Emotions, I sit down with Safiya Omosanya to explore the often-overlooked stressors that can impact how our kids think, feel, and behave. From sensory overload to environmental triggers, Safiya shares her insights on what’s really going on beneath the surface when children experience big emotions—and how we as parents can create calmer, more supportive environments.
Together, we talk about moving beyond quick fixes, the importance of parent self-care, and why embracing neurodiversity can transform not only our children’s lives but also our own parenting journey.
Whether you’re in the thick of meltdowns, struggling with school expectations, or simply wondering what else might be affecting your child’s emotional regulation, this conversation is here to guide you.
🔑 Key TakeawaysTo reach out to Safiya Omosanya you can book at call or contact her on LinkedIN.
20 minute complimentary “I’m ready to break cycles” session book at www.calendly.com/SafiyaOmosanya
Linked In
https://www.linkedin.com/in/safiya-omosanya-aaa46a260
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
Meltdowns are not a sign your child is being disrespectful—they’re a sign they’re overwhelmed, stuck, or trying to communicate something they don’t yet have the words for. In today’s episode, we’re focusing on how to meet your child where they are in the middle of an emotional outburst, and what to do (and not do) to help them feel safe, seen, and supported.
You’ll learn how your own nervous system impacts your response, why some kids shut down completely, and what’s actually happening in their brains when they “lose it.” You’ll also get ideas you can try today—even if your child refuses every tool you’ve learned.
💡 Key Takeaways💬 If this episode helped you see meltdowns in a new light, please share it with a friend or leave a review—it helps more parents feel less alone.
🎙 Listen to all episodes at: https://andiclark.com/podcast/
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
In this powerful conversation, former special education teacher and parent coach Amy Dooley joins Andi to explore what it really means to parent from a place of connection, not control. Amy shares her personal shift from traditional classroom discipline to connection-based parenting, and how that journey led her to support parents in transforming their own limiting beliefs.
Key Takeaways:
Episode Highlights:
[00:00] – Welcome + Amy's background as a teacher and homeschool parent
[02:00] – Early career belief: “Control = good teaching”
[04:50] – The moment Amy realized she wasn’t seeing the child—just the behavior
[06:30] – The Coke bottle metaphor: why behavior is the symptom, not the problem
[08:30] – Shifting from labeling kids to understanding them
[10:00] – Step one: Assigning positive intent to your child
[12:30] – Why parents must start with their own healing
[14:10] – “I am worthy. Period.” and what today’s kids are demanding
[16:00] – Parenting through generational change
[17:50] – The screwdriver and screw analogy: why parent shifts must come first
[20:00] – Why Amy left the classroom to work with parents
[22:30] – A child’s progress is limited when the home foundation is shaky
[25:30] – How presence—not perfection—builds trust
[28:00] – Feeling like you’re not enough as a parent
[30:00] – What “being enough” really looks like in the messiest moments
[33:00] – Why your own regulation matters more than the strategy
[35:00] – Amy’s story of timing meltdowns vs. being present
[37:00] – When you shift, your child’s behavior shifts too
[39:00] – Forgiving your former self and building new tools
[42:00] – The parenting purse analogy: replacing outdated tools
[45:30] – Final message: You are worthy. Your mess doesn’t disqualify you.
Resources Mentioned:
💡 Amy Dooley's Free Quiz: Discover your parenting strengths and get 3 connection-based strategies: https://quiz.tryinteract.com/#/683657ece9067900158eb2a9
📱 Follow Amy on Facebook: The Empowered Parent: https://www.facebook.com/empoweredparentcoach/
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amy.dooley_parentcoach) + TikTok: @the.empowered.parent (https://www.tiktok.com/@theempoweredparentcoach)
💬 Loved this episode?
If Amy’s message about worthiness and connection-based parenting spoke to you, take a moment to reflect: What outdated tools are you ready to let go of?
You don’t have to do this alone.
Start by exploring Amy’s free quiz to see where your child is struggling and how you can create more calm, connection, and clarity—together.
👉 Tap the links in the show notes to take your next step.
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
💡 Key Takeaways:Ready to explore personalized support?
Book a free 30-minute call to see if 1:1 coaching is the right fit for your family:
👉 https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Support Circle Membership: https://andiclark.thrivecart.com/support-circle/
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
In this powerful conversation, I sit down with Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist Megan Hamm, who has spent 17+ years supporting children and families through trauma, crisis, and complex emotional needs.
Together, we unpack why traditional views of “bad behavior” miss the mark—and what parents can do instead to truly support their children in moments of big emotion.
Whether you’re navigating daily meltdowns, feeling stuck in reaction mode, or simply want to build a deeper connection with your child, Megan offers a compassionate, grounded framework to help you shift from managing behavior to understanding it.
Key Takeaways
Episode Highlights
[00:00] - Introduction to Megan and her background in trauma-informed care
[04:00] - The shift from changing behavior to understanding behavior
[07:00] - What to do when your child is in meltdown: A crisis-response lens
[09:00] - Why calm connection beats consequence every time
[12:00] - How to prepare your home and your nervous system for high-emotion moments
[16:00] - Practicing regulation when things are not chaotic—why timing matters
[20:00] - Why Megan does more parent coaching than direct child therapy
[25:00] - What children really need during a meltdown—and why “fixing” doesn’t work
[30:00] - Letting kids learn through experience and mistakes, without shaming
[36:00] - What to say when others don’t understand your parenting approach
[41:00] - Modeling, natural consequences, and what actually builds lifelong skills
[48:00] - Megan’s book and how to work with her
Resources Mentioned
🔗 Megan Hamm’s Website: www.meganmhamm.com
📖 Book – The Heart of the Matter: Buy here https://buy.stripe.com/5kA4hxcDc2zd0GkbIJ
🔗 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meganhamm-lpc
📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganhammlpc/
👥 Facebook: facebook.com/megan.hamm.554041
🎧 Want to reflect more deeply on your parenting journey?
If this episode stirred something in you or helped you see your child’s behavior in a new light, I invite you to take a quiet moment to explore what support might look like for your family. You don’t have to figure it all out alone.
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
In this powerful solo episode, Andi walks parents through a foundational truth: you can't help your child regulate if you're still dysregulated yourself. When your child melts down, it’s easy to default to scripts and strategies—yet what your child truly needs is your steady presence. Andi explains how stress animals show up in parenting, why awareness is the first step, and what it really means to become the anchor your child can return to when they’re overwhelmed.
This is Step 3 of Andi’s CARE5™ framework—focused on Regulating Yourself before trying to co-regulate your child.
Key Takeaways
Episode Highlights
[00:00] Why this episode goes before calming your child: it starts with your nervous system.
[02:00] Introduction to the CARE5™ model and its previous steps.
[04:00] “You can’t be the anchor when you’re caught in the wave.”
[06:00] A compassionate reminder that no parent can be calm 100% of the time.
[07:30] Adult stress animals: how yours show up fast in parenting.
[09:00] What happens when a child’s shark triggers your shark (or clownfish or turtle)?
[10:30] You can be a firm shark without being in threat mode.
[12:00] Real-world example: a clownfish parent with a turtle child.
[14:30] “Your nervous system leads the way”—why your calm comes first.
[16:00] Think of your calm as a dock in the storm.
[17:00] Fire drills and stress practice: why we train outside the meltdown.
[18:30] The first shift isn’t behavior—it’s noticing.
[20:00] What your child needs most is you—not the perfect tool or script.
[21:00] How to work with Andi if you want deeper support.
Resources Mentioned
Ready to become the steady anchor your child needs? Start by calming your own waves first.
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Support Circle Membership: https://andiclark.thrivecart.com/support-circle/
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
What if SAT prep wasn’t just about getting a better score—but about helping your child see their worth, trust their process, and feel empowered to handle hard things?
In this conversation, Andi sits down with coach and educator Josh Aronovitch, who’s known for helping kids not just improve test scores—but deeply reconnect with their own strengths. From supporting neurodiverse kids with test anxiety to helping students find the college path that fits who they are, Josh brings a perspective that goes far beyond academics.
Whether your child is preparing for high school, college, or still figuring things out, this episode is packed with emotional insight, practical wisdom, and the kind of hope parents need.
Key Takeaways
Episode Highlights
[00:03:00] – Do SATs still matter? Josh explains how “test-optional” doesn’t always mean optional—and why test scores can still open doors.
[00:05:30] – Why kids struggle with testing (and it’s not what you think): From psychological spirals to perfectionism, Josh breaks down what really gets in the way.
[00:08:30] – Helping a student go from 720 to 1190: How a 2-year journey transformed not just scores—but self-belief.
[00:10:45] – Test prep as emotional growth: Why learning to pause, breathe, and “get off the wrong train” changes everything.
[00:16:00] – Understanding before memorizing: Why high-achieving kids often get stuck in math—and how to teach it differently.
[00:21:00] – The truth about multiple choice and second-guessing: Josh shares how depth of thinking can actually backfire—and how to help.
[00:28:30] – Finding the right college path: Josh flips the question—starting with how your child wants to feel, then working backwards.
[00:35:30] – The power of failure: Why kids need safe experiences with mistakes in order to grow.
[00:41:00] – A client story: 7 SATs, a perfect score in math, and med school dreams realized.
[00:46:00] – Josh’s global lifestyle and why travel helps kids dream bigger: A story about dancing, yoga, and finding joy through discomfort.
Resources Mentioned
Connect with Josh:
If you loved this episode, make sure to subscribe and leave a review!
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
If your child seems to flip from calm to chaos without warning, this episode will change the way you see those outbursts.
What if their “bad behavior” isn’t defiance—but a sign their nervous system is overloaded?
In this foundational episode, Andi introduces Step 1 of the CARE5™ Framework: Changing the Lens.
You’ll learn why traditional discipline often backfires, how to recognize stress signals in your child, and what’s really happening beneath those emotional explosions.
Using the Coke bottle analogy and real-life examples, Andi helps you shift from guilt and frustration to clarity and compassion—so you can begin responding instead of reacting.
Key Takeaways:
Episode Highlights:
[00:00:00] Welcome + what the CARE5™ Framework is and how it helps
[00:03:00] Common mismatch between adult expectations and child capacity
[00:04:30] Story: Pokémon night meltdown and uncovering the hidden stress
[00:07:30] What happens in the brain and body when a child feels unsafe
[00:10:00] Reframing defiance as an overwhelmed nervous system
[00:11:00] Coke bottle analogy: how stress builds invisibly before it explodes
[00:13:30] Why home becomes the safe place where meltdowns happen
[00:16:00] The life vest metaphor: why discipline isn’t what they need
[00:18:00] Small stressors that shook my son's Coke bottle that day
[00:19:00] Recap: Step 1 of the CARE5™ Framework – Change the Lens
[00:21:00] Preview of Step 2: Stress Animals (listen to Episode 110)
Resources Mentioned:
Ready to see your child’s behavior through a new lens?
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
In this powerful episode, Melissa McIntosh—former Educational Assistant turned mindfulness mentor—shares her journey from burnout in the school system to building Mindful Kids Inc.
Her mission? Helping families reconnect through simple, effective mindfulness practices that truly support emotional regulation.
We explore why mindfulness isn’t just for kids, how parents can model regulation, and what it really means to build a calm home from the inside out.
Key Takeaways
Episode Highlights
[00:00] – Meet Melissa: Her transition from education to mindfulness, and why she followed her gut.
[03:45] – The moment she realized the system wasn’t working—for kids, for families, or for herself.
[06:30] – Why her husband’s calm energy opened the door to mindfulness—and how it changed everything at home.
[10:15] – The missing piece in schools: involving parents and seeing the whole child, not just academics.
[14:00] – Why mindfulness must start with parents before it can help their children.
[18:15] – How kids can learn to filter outside energy, like “Steve’s nosebleed,” through a calm lens.
[22:00] – The Mind Jar explained: how a simple tool helps kids settle their thoughts and feelings.
[26:00] – What it looks like when kids start teaching mindfulness at home—and why that’s the real win.
[30:00] – Mindfulness as a superpower that grows with your child over time.
[33:45] – What to do when kids are dysregulated and the tool doesn’t “work.”
[36:00] – The moment you realize: it’s working.
[38:00] – Why gratitude is part of mindfulness—and how it changes the emotional tone of a family.
Resources Mentioned
Mindful Kids Inc. – Melissa’s mindfulness-based programs for kids and families:
https://www.mindfulkidsinc.com
Follow Melissa on
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe and share it with a friend who’s raising a child with big emotions.
Website: 🌐 www.andiclark.com
Self Assessment form: https://subscribepage.io/big-emotions-self-assessment
Book a 30-Minute Call with Andi – Get your questions answered and explore next steps: Book here: https://tidycal.com/andi1/bookacall
What drives some kids to push themselves relentlessly while others seem to lack motivation altogether?
In this episode, Andi explores what’s underneath both ends of the spectrum—overachieving and underachieving—and what parents might be missing.
Whether your child is racing ahead with academic goals or struggling to get started, this episode will help you understand the hidden executive functioning struggles that shape their behavior and what to do about it.
Key Takeaways
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
[00:00] – Introduction: Why kids may be overly driven or totally disengaged
[01:40] – A real-life story: A teen pushing for an associate’s degree before high school graduation
[03:00] – The missed question: Have we stopped to celebrate progress?
[04:00] – How executive functioning struggles can hide behind academic success
[05:30] – Challenges like inhibition, switching tasks, and sleep issues in high achievers
[06:00] – The opposite end: Kids with no drive and what’s behind the shutdown
[07:00] – A deeper dive into executive functioning (initiation, flexibility, planning, etc.)
[08:30] – Explaining the Gap and the Gain framework to kids
[10:00] – Guiding kids through flexible thinking with curious questions
[12:00] – Using short-term scenarios (like Lego or ice cream) to build long-term skills
[13:00] – Helping high achievers reflect, rest, and regulate
[14:30] – Using tools like health trackers (Whoop, Oura) to validate rest
[15:45] – Supporting disengaged kids through tiny wins and drive-by praise
[17:30] – Honoring their pace and effort over outcome
[18:45] – Questions for parents: Where is your child thriving on the surface but struggling underneath?
[20:00] – Modeling balance and rest as a parent
[21:15] – Final thoughts: Both drive and disinterest can hide deeper needs
Resources Mentioned
The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan & Dr. Benjamin Hardy
Executive Functioning Podcast Series
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