Tantrums, big feelings, and why an incorrectly peeled banana can lead to armageddon. In this episode, Jen and Hannah sit down with Beth, a registered nurse on the Ngala Parenting Line with a background in perinatal and infant mental health, to reframe toddler tantrums as communication rather than defiance, and to reassure parents that a toddler's goal is never to make life hard, but to learn, explore and connect. Beth explains why toddlers are wired to test boundaries, how to find the balance between keeping them safe and letting them explore, and why staying neutral and lending your calm matters more than fixing the feeling. Together they unpack 'name it to tame it', co-regulation, and why a dysregulated adult cannot regulate a toddler. From warm boundaries versus cold ones, to the difference between discipline and punishment and consequences and punishment, to rupture and repair, sensory tools, and preparing for transitions and waiting, Jen, Hannah and Beth cover the whole toddler landscape with warmth, honesty and a reminder to delight in how funny and wonderful this age can be. Is this episode for you? This episode is perfect for parents with a baby aged 12 months –3 years who want to have a clearer understanding on their child's behaviour. Resources: 📞 Need more help? For those in Western Australia, you can call the Ngala Parenting Line on 08 9368 9368 for free expert support from our team. Follow the Podcast: Subscribe: 🔗 https://www.youtube.com/@UCctvj5LUZ1eAzSErNAmAvxA Website: 🔗 https://www.ngala.com.au/ Timecodes: (00:00) Introduction: all feelings are safe feelings (00:45) Beth introduces herself and why she loves toddlers (01:50) Positive ways to parent toddlers and finding the balance (03:40) Overestimating and underestimating your toddler's capacity (04:15) How parenting looks different with first and later children (05:25) Effective strategies: praise and positive reinforcement (06:25) Your attention and delight as the highest currency (08:45) Encouraging independence and the just right challenge (10:20) Big feelings and the emotional flood (11:15) The iceberg: what tipped them over the edge (12:20) Helping your toddler in the moment: validate and label (13:40) Name it to tame it, and lending them your calm (14:10) A dysregulated adult cannot regulate a toddler (14:20) Coming down from the peak of a tantrum (15:35) Sensory preferences and helping the nervous system reset (16:50) Small resets: a sip of water, a deep breath, smelling a flower (17:40) Connection over distraction (18:25) Feelings are not a problem to be fixed (19:10) Warm boundaries versus cold boundaries (20:20) Simple, age appropriate boundaries and predictable responses (23:35) The difference between a boundary and discipline (24:10) Consequences versus punishment (25:25) Good enough parenting and the football hold to the car (26:10) Rupture and repair, and modelling how to apologise (27:40) When you feel like you are rupturing all the time (28:20) Toddlers are fun, and living in a state of awe (29:15) Revisiting boundaries that are not sustainable (30:45) Meeting your child's temperament: runners and climbers (31:25) Supporting transitions with warning and preparation (32:35) Waiting well: novelty, snacks and keeping them engaged (33:50) Visual timers and making time make sense (34:55) Delighting in the joy of toddlers Follow Ngala 🌐 Instagram 🔗https://www.instagram.com/ngala.official/ Facebook 🔗https://www.facebook.com/Ngala.Official/ LinkedIn 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/company/ngala/?originalSubdomain=au Produced by Podwave Studios: https://podwavestudios.au/ 🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe. Music from #Uppbeathttps://uppbeat.io/t/sky-toes/the-summitLicense code: FTQLZK6PIYUYDCXK #parenting #parentingtips #baby #parenthood #ngala #grossmotordevelopment #podcast #perthparents #parents #behaviour
