Helping Kids Tolerate Shame and Talk about Mistakes {EP 246}
Ever notice how some kids just cannot talk about hard things- especially if it’s about their own mistakes or ‘bad’ behavior? Maybe they melt down the second you bring it up… or shut down completely.
Let’s unpack what’s really going on when kids refuse to talk about mistakes or anything that feels “bad.” You’ll learn why their brain might be protecting them from feelings that are just too much – and how you can gently help them build the capacity to feel bad and still be okay.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why refusing to talk about hard things isn’t defiance—it’s protection
- What’s happening in the brain when a child remembers something painful or shame-filled
- How to scaffold conversations about mistakes using stories, characters, and your own modeling
The difference between avoiding hard conversations from connection mode versus protection mode
Resources Mentioned on the Podcast
- Resources mentioned in the podcast go here
Listen on the Podcast
This blog is a short summary of a longer episode on The Baffling Behavior Show podcast.
Find The Baffling Behavior Show podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or in your favorite podcast app.
Or, you can read the entire transcript of the episode by scrolling down and clicking ‘transcript.’
Robyn
Author of National Best Selling Book (including audiobook) Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work
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