94: Parenting Expert: "Stop trying to MANAGE your child's feelings... Do THIS instead." with Cassie Gudmundson

Cassie Gudmundson is a parenting coach who focuses on helping mothers navigate parenting with emotional self-regulation and mindful strategies.

In this episode, you're going to learn how to manage toddler tantrums without the power struggles, why focusing on emotional regulation is essential so that toddlers' emotions aren’t suppressed, and how to guide them through feeling their emotions safely. We talk about practical approaches to handling sibling conflicts without creating blame or bad dynamics, how to reduce daily power struggles by letting go of unnecessary controls, and why modelling calm and respectful behaviour is more effective than using punishments or rewards.

Cassie is a mama of 3 under 5 years old and a parent coach, specifically for toddler moms. It was a winding path that ended her up there. She previously owned a mindset coaching business — all of her clients were moms too, and she realized they were talking more about motherhood than business! It was obvious that moms were craving a new approach to parenting that allowed them to actually ENJOY these years, instead of just survive through them. With knowledge around Montessori, RIE parenting & in the thick of motherhood herself, she decided to go all in on coaching parenting! A community of 130k+ and nearly 1000 students later, this is definitely the work that was meant to be

Timestamps:

[00:00] Introduction  

[04:11] How triggers from childhood influence parenting

[06:08] Recognizing the importance of emotional regulation

[08:25] Why punishment is not effective parenting

[10:16] How to handle toddler tantrums calmly

[12:01] Setting boundaries without power struggles

[14:25] Managing public meltdowns

[16:05] Role of co-regulation in parenting

[18:01] Letting toddlers process emotions

[22:28] Helping toddlers communicate emotions

[24:35] Handling transitions like leaving the park

[26:25] Building respect through honesty

[28:22] Balancing parents’ needs with children’s autonomy

[30:55] Recognizing toddlers as capable individuals

[32:32] How parenting style affects older children

[35:00] Shifting from control to connection

[37:31] The difference between discipline and punishment

[40:14] Encouraging intrinsic motivation in children

[42:28] Teaching toddlers emotional regulation through play

[45:27] The importance of modelling behaviour for kids

[47:21] Neutral approaches to sibling conflicts

[50:42] Allowing space for children to resolve conflicts

[52:45] Prioritizing self-care as a mom

[56:19] Reflections on emotional self-mastery

Want to start a podcast like this one? Book your free podcast planning call here

Connect with Cassie through her Instagram, TikTok and website.

Resources Mentioned:

Alfie Kohn | Website

RIE Parenting by Magda Gerber | Website

American Montessori Society | Website

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