How to Reconnect After a Fight with Your Young Child: An Easy Trick for Teaching Emotional Regulation

Ever wonder how to reconnect after a fight with your child - without the guilt, second-guessing, or endless explaining?

In today’s episode, I’m sharing one of my favorite go-to strategies as a psychologist and a mom for how to reconnect with your child after conflict. It’s evidence-based. And it’s so simple you’ll wish someone taught it to you sooner.

This approach isn’t just about repairing the moment - it’s a powerful tool for teaching emotional regulation and modeling empathy, even when your child is spiraling. I’ll walk you through how to calm a child down when angry, and how to actually talk about what happened... without anyone shutting down.

What we cover in this episode:

• The reason your child resists talking about the conflict - and the story-based strategy that bypasses that wall.
• Why direct logic fails with little kids (and what to do instead for teaching emotional regulation)
• How to use storytelling as a tool for how to reconnect after a fight - without making your child feel blamed or shamed
• The key mindset shift for how to calm a child down when angry and still hold your boundary
• How to reconnect with your child - while still balancing connection and limits.

Listen to the full episode to learn a practical tool you can use tonight (yes, even if your kid just screamed at you). Because how to reconnect after a fight, how to calm a child down when angry, and how to reconnect with your child don’t have to be mysteries - and teaching emotional regulation doesn’t require a PhD.

Hit play, take a breath, and let’s figure this out together.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Episode 18: Transition Anxiety Is Real: Helping a Child Adjust to Change with Storytelling

PCIT Experts

Calm and Connected Program

LET'S CONNECT:

Thriving Child Center

PCIT Experts

Calm and Connected Program

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