Parenting with Anxiety: From Chaos to Connection In this episode, we dive deep into the messy, beautiful reality of parenting with anxiety. Whether you're spiraling over breakfast meltdowns or catastrophizing every parenting decision, this conversation is for you. We explore how anxiety affects parenting, why your nervous system sees threats everywhere, and most importantly, how to stay present with your kids even when your brain is in overdrive. Through personal stories, science-backed strategies, and practical tools, we'll help you transform from reactive to responsive parenting. Remember: your anxiety doesn't disqualify you from being an amazing parent—it can actually become one of your superpowers.

Key Takeaways

• Your anxiety doesn't make you a bad parent, it makes you human
• Children need real parents, not perfect ones who never feel anxious
• Co-regulation is more powerful than trying to manage everything alone
• The sixty-second reset can interrupt anxiety spirals before they take over
• Modeling emotional awareness teaches kids that feelings are manageable

What You'll Discover

• Why your nervous system sees threats in normal parenting moments
• The science behind how anxiety affects your parenting responses
• Practical tools for staying present during your child's meltdowns
• How to practice anxiety transparency with healthy boundaries
• The difference between reacting from anxiety and responding from wisdom

Resources Mentioned

• University of California study on anxious mothers' brain activity during child distress
• Harvard longitudinal study on emotional regulation in children of anxious parents
• Donald Winnicott's "good enough parenting" concept from attachment theory
• Stephen Porges' polyvagal theory and co-regulation research
• Dan Siegel's "window of tolerance" framework for emotional regulation

Next Episode Preview This Saturday's Boost episode introduces the sixty-second co-regulation game—a simple tool for when both you and your child are escalating. Next Tuesday, we're exploring anxiety and chronic pain, breaking down how they feed off each other in exhausting cycles.

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