In this powerful solo episode, Andi walks parents through a foundational truth: you can't help your child regulate if you're still dysregulated yourself. When your child melts down, it’s easy to default to scripts and strategies—yet what your child truly needs is your steady presence. Andi explains how stress animals show up in parenting, why awareness is the first step, and what it really means to become the anchor your child can return to when they’re overwhelmed.

This is Step 3 of Andi’s CARE5™ framework—focused on Regulating Yourself before trying to co-regulate your child.

Key Takeaways

• You can’t co-regulate a child if you’re still activated yourself.

• Knowing your stress animal (shark, clownfish, turtle) helps you interrupt reaction cycles.

• It’s not about getting calm perfectly—it’s about noticing when you’re not.

• Regulation starts with awareness, not strategy.

• You don’t need to fix everything in the moment—your presence is what matters most.