There are times when your kids are going through something hard or they have something on their mind, and the way they process it is by talking to you - aka complaining.
They get stuck in their big feelings. They’re afraid that the discomfort they’re experiencing is going to last forever. So they take all those thoughts and feelings and dump them on you.
It’s like the big-kid version of a temper tantrum and it can go on and on…and on.
When it comes down to it, your child is just looking for support in moving through their negative emotions.
And sometimes this goes on for a long time. I share a story in the episode about a time I went through this with my son, and that night I was in a place to be patient and compassionate and stick it out with him. But that doesn’t always feel easy.
There are times you may need to calm yourself before you can show up with compassion. There are also times you may need to set a limit or boundary around the complaining when it gets to be too much.
In this episode, I walk you through three strategies for dealing with complaining: staying neutral, being compassionate and coaching your kid through their big feelings.
We’ll dive into all three of these with plenty of real-life examples, questions you can ask and my all-time favorite phrase for validating someone’s feelings.
You’ll Learn:
- Why kids complain
- 3 strategies to deal with your kid’s complaining
- What to do when you’re done and you really can’t talk about it in a compassionate way anymore
- Two ways to coach your child through the situation they’re struggling with
- Why changing their circumstance is usually not the best approach
Free Resources:
Get your copy of the Stop Yelling Cheat Sheet at https://www.calmmamacoaching.com/stopyelling.
In this free guide you’ll discover:
✨ A simple tool to stop yelling once you’ve started (This one thing will get you calm.)
✨ 40 things to do instead of yelling. (You only need to pick one!)
✨ Exactly why you yell. (And how to stop yourself from starting.)
✨A script to say to your kids when you yell. (So they don't follow you around!)
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