How To Keep Your Cool When Your Anxious Child Is Losing It!
Sunday, April 23, 2023
Sunday, April 23, 2023
How To Keep Your Cool When Your Anxious Child Is Losing It!
Sunday, April 23, 2023
How To Keep Your Cool When Your Anxious Child Is Losing It!
Need help mastering the art of calm? This video shows you how to keep your cool when your anxious child is losing it!
As a parent (especially when you have an anxious child), the first thing you need to learn is how to keep your cool. Even when your child pushes all your buttons!
And they know exactly how to do that when they’re upset, don’t they?
Tantrums at the shops, meltdowns as you struggle to get everyone out the door on time…
Or even worse, outright defiance when you’re trying to get your child to cooperate for you.
It’s enough to make you want to scream!
Thankfully, there is a solution.
In the quick video below I show you a technique you can use to help you stay in control of your reactions even when you’re feeling frustrated.
This strategy will help you prevent making the situation worse. And in turn, you can help your child stay calm too.
Hello, it's Sue Stevenson here.
Does your child ever really push your buttons so much so that you feel like you're just going to totally lose it with them?
Is it any wonder we lose it with our kids sometimes?
I mean, we can only take so much, right?
The Guilt: I'll Never Do This Again!
And when you do end up screaming at your kids like a crazy woman, later that night while lying in bed feeling riddled with guilt and shame, you swear you'll never do this again.
But then the next morning comes around and here we go again. Your child's coming up with every excuse under the sun to avoid going to school. Or perhaps they're arguing with you or their siblings, or perhaps their anxieties just escalate because things just aren't going their way.
Whatever the reason, you’re feeling triggered because your child's pushed your buttons yet again. And you're trying so hard to stay calm and not lose it with your child.
I get how stressful this is. I've been through it and it's just so infuriating because you feel like you're just going to explode.
So I want to share a three step strategy that really works for me and the parents and kids I work with.
Here are the three steps I want you to do…
Step 1
Firstly, instead of reacting while you're feeling angry, stop and hit the pause button. Take a step back and imagine that you are watching all this chaos in a movie.
And then I want you to take a big, deep, slow breath.
Just to ground yourself. I feel better already just from doing that.
Step 2
Then secondly, I want you to do this. It's called box breathing.
Imagine that this square I'm drawing right now is a box.
The first section of the box, I want you to breathe in a big, deep, slow breath while counting to four slowly. Breathe in through your nose and fill up your belly like you're inflating a balloon.
So four counts in, and then I want you to pause for four counts.
And then after you've paused for four counts, I want you to breathe out for four counts, and while you're breathing out, fully expel all the air from your lungs.
Then pause for four counts.
Then I want you to repeat this… in for four counts. Pause out for four counts and pause as many times as it takes until you feel calmer.
You see, pausing and doing this box breathing helps you change your body's physiological state because you can't be highly anxious and also feel calm and breathe deeply and slowly at the same time.
I want you to be able to calm yourself just so that you are ready for those pressure moments. This will help you to better manage situations with your anxious child.
Step 3
And then thirdly, what I want you to do is to practice this box breathing as much as you can. Practice it while you're feeling relaxed, because it's hard to learn new things when you're feeling stressed or anxious.
I've got a client right now who's practicing this every time they go to the bathroom.
Now I often say that anxiety is contagious, but so is calm energy. So by calming yourself using this box breathing, your calm energy will transfer onto others in your household.
Let’s Recap
So just to recap… in those moments when your anxious child pressures you and you feel like you're about to lose it with them, firstly stop… step away… and take a deep breath and ground yourself.
Then secondly, do your box breathing until you're feeling calm.
And then thirdly, keep practicing your box breathing until you’re really good at it so that when you do need it, you can calm yourself down.
Okay, now I want you to go and practice this technique straight away once you've finished watching this video, so you are ready to handle the next time your child pushes your buttons.
See other posts like this one:
Sunday, August 17, 2025
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Many parents are noticing their Gen Z and Alpha kids spending more time behind closed doors or glued to screens, and less time connecting at home. This isn’t defiance — it’s disconnection, often driven by anxiety, overwhelm, and constant digital stimulation. The blog explains why this withdrawal is not “just a phase” and shares a real-life story of a mother who reconnected with her 13-year-old daughter through small, pressure-free moments. It offers 6 compassionate steps parents can take — from encouraging device-free downtime and holding space without hovering, to building gentle social bridges and tuning into emotional needs with empathy. The key message: Parents don’t need to “fix” their child or take an extreme approach. Instead, by leading with trust, presence, and consistency, they can create safe spaces where children naturally open up and reconnect.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2025
Kids and Devices – Part 1: Screens, Stress, Anxiety and Sensitive Kids: What Every Parent Needs to Know
Think iPads are calming your child? Think again. This blog reveals how screens are conditioning your child’s brain for quick fixes not emotional regulation. Learn why even “good content” may backfire and discover 7 practical steps to reduce screen-driven anxiety and rebuild calm connection at home.
As a parent (especially when you have an anxious child), the first thing you need to learn is how to keep your cool. Even when your child pushes all your buttons!
And they know exactly how to do that when they’re upset, don’t they?
Tantrums at the shops, meltdowns as you struggle to get everyone out the door on time…
Or even worse, outright defiance when you’re trying to get your child to cooperate for you.
It’s enough to make you want to scream!
Thankfully, there is a solution.
In the quick video below I show you a technique you can use to help you stay in control of your reactions even when you’re feeling frustrated.
This strategy will help you prevent making the situation worse. And in turn, you can help your child stay calm too.
Hello, it's Sue Stevenson here.
Does your child ever really push your buttons so much so that you feel like you're just going to totally lose it with them?
Is it any wonder we lose it with our kids sometimes?
I mean, we can only take so much, right?
The Guilt: I'll Never Do This Again!
And when you do end up screaming at your kids like a crazy woman, later that night while lying in bed feeling riddled with guilt and shame, you swear you'll never do this again.
But then the next morning comes around and here we go again. Your child's coming up with every excuse under the sun to avoid going to school. Or perhaps they're arguing with you or their siblings, or perhaps their anxieties just escalate because things just aren't going their way.
Whatever the reason, you’re feeling triggered because your child's pushed your buttons yet again. And you're trying so hard to stay calm and not lose it with your child.
I get how stressful this is. I've been through it and it's just so infuriating because you feel like you're just going to explode.
So I want to share a three step strategy that really works for me and the parents and kids I work with.
Here are the three steps I want you to do…
Step 1
Firstly, instead of reacting while you're feeling angry, stop and hit the pause button. Take a step back and imagine that you are watching all this chaos in a movie.
And then I want you to take a big, deep, slow breath.
Just to ground yourself. I feel better already just from doing that.
Step 2
Then secondly, I want you to do this. It's called box breathing.
Imagine that this square I'm drawing right now is a box.
The first section of the box, I want you to breathe in a big, deep, slow breath while counting to four slowly. Breathe in through your nose and fill up your belly like you're inflating a balloon.
So four counts in, and then I want you to pause for four counts.
And then after you've paused for four counts, I want you to breathe out for four counts, and while you're breathing out, fully expel all the air from your lungs.
Then pause for four counts.
Then I want you to repeat this… in for four counts. Pause out for four counts and pause as many times as it takes until you feel calmer.
You see, pausing and doing this box breathing helps you change your body's physiological state because you can't be highly anxious and also feel calm and breathe deeply and slowly at the same time.
I want you to be able to calm yourself just so that you are ready for those pressure moments. This will help you to better manage situations with your anxious child.
Step 3
And then thirdly, what I want you to do is to practice this box breathing as much as you can. Practice it while you're feeling relaxed, because it's hard to learn new things when you're feeling stressed or anxious.
I've got a client right now who's practicing this every time they go to the bathroom.
Now I often say that anxiety is contagious, but so is calm energy. So by calming yourself using this box breathing, your calm energy will transfer onto others in your household.
Let’s Recap
So just to recap… in those moments when your anxious child pressures you and you feel like you're about to lose it with them, firstly stop… step away… and take a deep breath and ground yourself.
Then secondly, do your box breathing until you're feeling calm.
And then thirdly, keep practicing your box breathing until you’re really good at it so that when you do need it, you can calm yourself down.
Okay, now I want you to go and practice this technique straight away once you've finished watching this video, so you are ready to handle the next time your child pushes your buttons.
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Recent blogs:
Why Gen Z and Alpha Kids Feel Anxious - How You Can Turn Things Around for Your Child
Sunday, August 17, 2025
Many parents are noticing their Gen Z and Alpha kids spending more time behind closed doors or glued to screens, and less time connecting at home. This isn’t defiance — it’s disconnection, often driven by anxiety, overwhelm, and constant digital stimulation. The blog explains why this withdrawal is not “just a phase” and shares a real-life story of a mother who reconnected with her 13-year-old daughter through small, pressure-free moments. It offers 6 compassionate steps parents can take — from encouraging device-free downtime and holding space without hovering, to building gentle social bridges and tuning into emotional needs with empathy. The key message: Parents don’t need to “fix” their child or take an extreme approach. Instead, by leading with trust, presence, and consistency, they can create safe spaces where children naturally open up and reconnect.
Kids and Devices – Part 2: How to Talk to Kids About Screens (Without Meltdowns, Guilt Trips, or World War III)
Monday, August 04, 2025
Struggling with daily battles over iPads or screen time? In Part 2 of the Kids and Devices series, we explore how to talk to your child about screens without meltdowns, guilt trips, or constant conflict. You’ll learn why typical time-limit strategies fall short, and how to shift toward calm, collaborative conversations that actually work. Discover 8 screen-smart strategies to create healthy digital boundaries, reduce emotional reactivity, and reconnect with your big-feeling, strong-willed child in a tech-driven world.
Kids and Devices – Part 1: Screens, Stress, Anxiety and Sensitive Kids: What Every Parent Needs to Know
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