What to Say Instead of “What’s Wrong?”, Moving with Toddlers & The Tangents from Hiatus

Rachel and Rosie come back from a hiatus with moving chaos, flooded basements, tornado warnings, and a moment that ends in a dog bed surrounded by two giant dogs wondering why everyone needs to touch you at the exact same time—plus about twenty tangents (including literal math) that somehow still end up looping back around?? 🔍 WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS EPISODE → packing up your entire house while still living in it with kids, animals, and zero personal space → a toddler melting down over sleeves… that turns out to be about wanting her sister → “I don’t like where you put my bed” and what that actually means during a move → the moment everything stacks—noise, touch, questions—and you hit your limit → sitting in a dog bed because it’s the only place no one else is → why asking “what’s wrong?” usually gets you nowhere in a meltdown → what happens when you stop asking questions and just say what you think is going on → how fast a small moment turns into snapping at your partner when you’re already overwhelmed Nothing is technically *wrong* it’s just *a lot *. It’s: - transitions - noise - competing needs - you’re overstimulated af - and toddlers trying to communicate things they don’t fully understand yet This episode helps you slow it down just enough to see: what’s is the behavior GIVING the person? that’s not negotiable — but how it happens is. That’s how you respond in a way that supports your child’s emotional regulation **and** your own. 🔥 TAKEAWAYS - A toddler tantrum is usually not about the thing they’re upset about—it’s often about a transition, a change, or something that didn’t match their expectation - When everything feels overwhelming (for you), it’s usually overstimulation—not just “too many things,” but not having space to process any of it - Naming what you think is happening (“you wanted your sister,” “you didn’t like your room changing”) works better than asking questions in the middle of a meltdown - Trying to fix or redirect too quickly can actually make emotional regulation harder—for both of you - A lot of parenting moments aren’t behavior problems—they’re communication problems happening in real time 🔗 LINKS & MENTIONS - The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld - Dolly Parton Imagination Library (imaginationlibrary.com) 🤍 CONNECT WITH US Instagram: → @judgment_not_judgmental → @regulatingwithrachel If this episode felt like your life: Send it to the friend you voice note when everything feels like too much. Or DM us. We’re really glad you’re here.