April 16, 2025

#308 ‘Touched Out' or Tired of Tantrums? Here’s How We Still Show Up for Our Kids

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This episode highlights the core principles of attachment parenting, especially for parents feeling overwhelmed by their child’s emotional intensity. Responding to a listener’s struggle with burnout and clinginess, Rachel and Greg unpack how behaviors like tantrums or constant reassurance-seeking are signals of unmet attachment needs—not signs of spoiling or weakness. Through real-life strategies, they show how attachment parenting fosters emotional resilience by prioritizing presence, co-regulation, and connection over control. Listeners will learn how to meet their child’s needs without sacrificing their own well-being, creating a calm, connected home built on trust, empathy, and long-term emotional health.

Show Notes
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Are you overwhelmed by your child’s clinginess, emotional meltdowns, tantrums, or constant need for attention?

Do you want to be a calm, connected parent—but feel touched out, maxed out, and unsure how to respond without creating 'bad habits' in your children?

In this episode, we respond to a heartfelt question from a listener who asked: “How do I support my children when they’re being emotionally needy—but I’m running on empty myself? My husband says I'm forming bad habits in my kids and wearing myself out.”

She’s a devoted mom trying to show up with love—but when her child is falling apart, crying, throwing tantrums, or needing constant reassurance, she feels like she’s emotionally drowning. Her natural response is to set more boundaries for her children to protect herself from burnout -- but is the best approach when YOU are the person who's the adult?

If you’ve ever felt stuck between your own limits and your child’s emotional needs, this conversation is for you.

We explore how attachment parenting principles can help you stay emotionally grounded while building secure bonds—especially during challenging moments and phases.

You’ll learn how your child’s clingy or intense behavior is actually a normal response to unmet emotional needs, and how to use those moments to deepen trust and connection instead of breaking your parent/child bond.

We share practical ways to support your child’s emotional growth without sacrificing your own well-being.

From real-life parenting tools to nervous system regulation strategies, this episode will help you build a peaceful, connected home—even when parenting feels messy.

Whether you're raising toddlers, preschoolers, or school-aged kids, these attachment parenting insights will empower you to create a strong foundation of safety, love, better behavior, and mental and emotional health now and into adulthood.

✅ Your child’s desire for closeness is a sign of healthy attachment—not weakness or 'bad habits'.
✅ Emotional meltdowns and tantrums are signs of unmet attachment needs, not power struggles.
✅ When you regulate yourself, you help your child develop emotionally through co-regulation. Children can't self-regulate.
✅ Attachment parenting leads to long-term confidence, independence, and resilience.
✅ You can meet your child’s needs and protect your peace.

Chapters

00:00 The Key to Great Parenting

10:02 The Importance of Truth in Parenting

10:25 Navigating Parenting Challenges

18:08 Understanding Attachment and Its Impact

24:17 Building Strong Attachments for Better Outcomes

31:20 Increasing Capacity as Parents

36:45 The Complexity of Parenting

39:31 Understanding Children's Emotional Needs

42:48 The Importance of Self-Care for Parents

45:39 Nutrition's Role in Parenting Effectiveness

49:48 Prioritizing Childhood Development

54:35 The Balance of Family Commitments

59:15 Building Lasting Relationships with Children

01:02:07 Strategies for Rebuilding Attachment

01:06:48 Managing Parental Stress and Emotions

🗣 “Attachment parenting is not about perfection—it’s about presence.”
🗣 “When your child is falling apart, they need you to hold it together.”
🗣 “Their behavior is communication—not defiance.”
🗣 “You don’t have to fix everything. You just have to be there.”
🗣 “Connection is the soil where emotional resilience grows.”

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