What Now? A Parent's Guide to...

E8: Guided meditation for stressed parents

6m · Published 05 Oct 04:40

Parenting is stressful. In this six-minute guided meditation, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn helps you calm your mind and body so you can respond to your child more effectively.

This is the last episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide to Tantrums and Meltdowns. Explore the rest of Season 1 for more strategies to help you confidently handle your child’s big emotions.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you stay calm, manage your child’s outbursts, and get personalized tips along the way.

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E7: What triggers you as a parent

7m · Published 05 Oct 04:35

Your child’s tantrums or meltdowns can make you angry or upset. But it’s harder to think clearly when you’re having big emotions. That’s why it’s essential to learn your parenting triggers and use self-calming skills to help you parent more effectively during heated moments.

In this seven-minute episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn teaches you how to look inward and notice signs you’ve been triggered. You’ll also learn common ways kids trigger their parents and quick mindfulness strategies to help you calm down.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you stay calm, manage your child’s outbursts, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(0:39) Why you need to know your parenting triggers
(1:40) How to identify your parenting triggers
(4:31) What to do after you identify what triggers you
(5:47) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E6: Identifying your child’s behavior triggers

7m · Published 05 Oct 04:30

Do your child’s outbursts seem to come out of nowhere? In this seven-minute episode of “What Now? A Parent’s Guide,” psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn explains how to find your child’s behavior triggers to prevent tantrums and meltdowns.

Learn which details to track to help you spot patterns, like time of day, what your child was doing just before the outburst, and who else was there.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you track your child’s behavior, look for patterns, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(1:08) Why parents need to be detectives
(2:53) How to identify your child’s triggers
(5:27) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E5: Using praise to prevent your child’s outbursts

5m · Published 05 Oct 04:25

It may sound surprising, but praising your child for what they did correctly when they got upset can help prevent future tantrums or meltdowns.

In this five-minute episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn explains how to notice your child’s self-calming efforts and give detailed praise so they’ll know what you want them to do again in the future.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you manage your child’s outbursts, track your progress, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(0:40) Why the right kind of praise can make a big difference
(2:38) How to praise proactively
(3:45) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E4: How to talk to your child after a tantrum or meltdown

6m · Published 05 Oct 04:20

Talking to your child after a tantrum or meltdown can help you find out what caused the outburst. But timing is crucial. Try to talk too soon, and you may rev up big emotions. Wait too long, and your child may lose track of key details that can help you figure out what triggered the outburst.

In this 6-minute episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn teaches you how to know when your child is ready to talk and how to start the conversation. Get expert tips including the best open-ended questions to ask after your child has a tantrum or meltdown.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you manage your child’s outbursts, track your progress, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(0:41) Why timing is really important
(2:16) How to know when your child is ready to talk
(3:44) How to start the conversation
(4:55) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E3: How to take a time-out with your child

8m · Published 05 Oct 04:15

It’s stressful when your child is having a tantrum or outburst, and your reaction can ramp up their behavior. One way to lower the tension is to ask for a sports-style time-out so you and your child can take a quick break from the action.

In this eight-minute episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn explains how to take a mutual time-out when your child is upset. One key detail: Tell your child when you’ll come back together. This can help kids use the time apart to calm down instead of worrying about being abandoned.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you manage your child’s outbursts, track your progress, and get insights along the way.

Timestamps

(0:44) Why mutual time-outs are so helpful
(1:37) How to take a mutual time-out
(7:00) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E2: The first step to help your child calm down

5m · Published 05 Oct 04:10

The single most important step to calm your child’s tantrums or outbursts is to look calm — even if you don’t feel calm.

In this five-minute episode of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn explains why the way you look and sound can have a big impact on your child's behavior. He also offers tips for staying cool during heated moments — or fake it till you make it.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you manage your child’s outbursts, track your progress, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(0:45) Why you need to look calm
(2:39) How to project calm in heated moments
(3:45) What you can practice ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.

E1: How to tell the difference between tantrums and meltdowns

7m · Published 05 Oct 04:05

Not all outbursts are the same, and how you respond can have a big impact on your child’s behavior. In this 7-minute episode of of What Now? A Parent’s Guide, psychologist Dr. Andrew Kahn explains how to tell the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown and what to do next.

For more resources, visit the episode page on Understood. You can also download Wunder by Understood. This free app includes exercises that can help you manage your child’s outbursts, track your progress, and get personalized tips along the way.

Timestamps

(0:35) Why it helps to know the difference between a tantrum and a meltdown
(4:45) How to tell a tantrum from a meltdown
(6:09) What you can do ahead of time

Understood.org is a resource dedicated to shaping the world so the millions of people with learning and thinking differences can thrive. Learn more about What Now? A Parent’s Guide and all our podcasts at u.org/podcasts.