Ep. 294: You Can’t Teach Calm If You Can’t Be Calm: The Power of Self-Regulation

In You Can’t Teach Calm If You Can’t Be Calm , Dr. Meg Meeker welcomes guests Kahlila Robinson and Sarah Gerstenzang , co-authors of The Self-Regulation Workbook for Children Ages 5 to 8 . Together, they unpack how parental self-regulation plays a crucial role in helping children build emotional resilience and develop lifelong emotional skills. This episode dives into why your own calm sets the tone for your child’s behavior, especially when dealing with post-COVID stress, emotional outbursts, or peer conflicts. Kahlila and Sarah share practical, science-backed tools to help parents recognize emotional contagion, model regulation, and foster secure attachments. Whether you're managing meltdowns or building daily routines with intention, this conversation reminds us: you can’t teach calm if you can’t be calm yourself. 👉 Want personalized guidance from Dr. Meg? If you're struggling to stay calm in the chaos of parenting—or just want expert advice tailored to your family's needs—Dr. Meg offers one-on-one coaching for parents who are ready to grow, heal, and lead with confidence. Learn more here. 🧷 Links T he Self-Regulation Workbook for Children Ages 5 to 8 by Kahlila Robinson and Sarah Gerstenzang Meg's Amazon Favs As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 📌 Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction to Parenting Challenges 00:33 – Launch of the Self-Regulation Workbook 01:26 – Why Parental Self-Regulation is Key 02:40 – Staying Calm in Heated Moments 05:29 – How Emotions Transfer Between Parent & Child 08:31 – Addressing Post-COVID Anxiety in Kids 11:08 – Helping Kids Develop Emotional Awareness 12:34 – Simple De-Escalation Tools for Parents 17:44 – Matching Strategies to Different Child Personalities 18:37 – Connection-Based Discipline 21:28 – Children’s Core Emotional Needs 23:31 – Teaching Kids to Cope with Stress 25:15 – Managing Peer Conflict and Social Stress 28:30 – Healing Emotional Wounds in Childhood 30:50 – Balancing Work, Stress & Parenting 36:14 – Final Thoughts & Resources Sponsors: Hungryroot – 40% off + free gift with code DRMEG Fam Gabs – 10% off conversation cards with code DRMEGPOD K12-powered Schools – Tuition-free, accredited online learning for K–12 Thrive Causemetics – Clean beauty with purpose. 10% off your first order Listen to Aidee , “Nothing Rhymes With Orange”: See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at .

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Ep. 294: You Can’t Teach Calm If You Can’t Be Calm: The Power of Self-Regulation is an episode from Parenting Great Kids with Dr. Meg Meeker by Dr. Meg Meeker.

This episode is 00:37:54 long.

This episode was published on Oct 1, 2025.

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