3 Simple Ways to Navigate Big Emotions During Summer (or anytime!) For You and Your Kids

Summer can feel like such a mix of things.

On the one hand, you're grateful for the sunshine, slower mornings, and the opportunity to spend more time with your kids.

And on the other hand… you're exhausted, overstimulated, and already bracing for the next meltdown.

Whether it's getting out the door for camp or navigating the end-of-day crash after hours of activity, the emotional intensity can feel like a lot.

So, if you're finding yourself short-tempered, tapped out, or thinking, "Why am I already yelling, and it's only 8 am?"  I see you.

Here are three ways to help you (and your child) move through the big emotions of summer with a little more connection, clarity, and capacity.

1. Start and end the day with connection, not correction

We often rush right into the doing;  "Get your shoes," "Where's your sunscreen," "Why is your lunch still on the table," "We're already late."

Or we come home and jump right into the next thing; "Wash your hands," "Dinner's ready," "Put your shoes away."

But what's often missing is a moment of reconnection.

That tiny pause to say, "We're back together now."

Whether it's the morning rush or that evening crash, your kids (and your nervous system) need a soft landing. That moment of attunement can make all the difference.

Quick Win Ideas:

• In the morning: Before you start barking orders (I've done it, too), try 5–10 minutes of simple connection. A long hug. Some giggles under the blanket. Even a few minutes of just being together on the couch before shifting into go-time.
• After the day is done: Try building in a 10-minute "family huddle" before dinner. I had one family push dinner out by 15 minutes so they could greet each other, hug, laugh, and reconnect. It changed the entire energy of their evenings.

2. Speak to the emotion before you speak with logic

This one can be tough, especially when we're tired and want things to move along.

However, I can't stress this enough: when our kids are in the middle of a meltdown or falling apart for the fifth time that day, they can't hear our reasoning. And when we skip the empathy and go straight into "fix it" mode, it can make things worse.

We might go right into bribing or trying to calm it down: "Okay, okay! We'll get ice cream after dinner if you can just stop crying."

Or, "This isn't a big deal. Let's move on."

But your child's brain is in the middle of a storm. Logic can't land if emotion is still driving.

Quick Win Ideas:

• Try saying something simple like: "I know this is hard," or "You're disappointed, I get it."
• Resist the urge to fix it right away. Just hold the emotion for a moment. Sometimes, that's all they need to start coming back online.

You don't have to validate every feeling all the time. But when you skip this step, kids can get stuck. And so can we.

3. Stop ignoring your own needs, even if it's just for five minutes

This one might be the hardest one of all, especially when you're already feeling short, impatient, resentful, and exhausted.

I recently had someone say to me, "Self-care is a luxury I can't afford."

And a few weeks later, they ended up with pneumonia.

I know it feels impossible to take care of yourself when you're holding so much. But here's the truth: you can't afford not to.

That time for yourself? It's necessary.

Quick Win Ideas:

• Schedule it like a meeting. Even if it's just five minutes, add it to your calendar like you would any other appointment. And then honor it.
• Ask yourself once a day: "What do I need right now?" Maybe it's water. Perhaps it's food. It could be as simple as sitting down and breathing in silence for 3 minutes. Start there.

When you meet your own needs, even in small ways, you build more capacity for regulation over time. And with that regulation comes more clarity on what you can do next. You don't have to feel perfectly calm in the moment. But when your battery stays out of the depletion mode, and you can stay regulated enough to think clearly, you can start to respond instead of react.

You're not doing this wrong.

Summer is intense. You're not imagining it.

But these little shifts? A hug before the shoes, a pause before the solution, a glass of water before the chaos? They matter, and they add up.

If you try any of these today, let me know how it goes.

And if you're still feeling stuck, please don't hesitate to send me a message and let's talk. You're not alone in this.

You've got this, Mama.

xx

🤟🏻

Claire