Finding Joy: Breaking the Cycle of Anger in Parenting

In this final episode of 2025, I’m sharing something deeply personal - my relationship with anger, where it came from, and how I’ve worked to change it. This is one of the most vulnerable solo episodes I’ve ever recorded, because anger is a feeling so many of us carry quietly, especially in parenthood. This episode is for the parent who feels ashamed after snapping. For the one who feels tense all the time. For the one who is scared they might repeat what they grew up with. Your anger does not make you a bad parent. It makes you human. And change is possible. I discuss: ✔️ How anger showed up in my early life and why it became my default response ✔️ The moment with our puppy that forced me to see my patterns clearly ✔️ How stress, trauma, and burnout can pull old reactions back to the surface ✔️ What I learned through coaching, therapy, and eventually EMDR ✔️ How this work changed my nervous system, my parenting, and my day-to-day mindset ✔️ The brain science behind anger and why your body reacts before your thoughts do ✔️ What often sits underneath explosive reactions ✔️ How your window of tolerance affects everything ✔️ The real tools I use when I feel overwhelmed ✔️ How I teach my kids that feelings are allowed, but hurtful behavior is not 00:00 Scary parents are scared parents 01:10 Why anger shows up in parenting 02:49 When anger becomes a problem, not a protector 03:09 The moment I knew I had to change 05:44 Trauma, motherhood, and why anger came back 06:59 How therapy helped me find peace 08:48 Fear, the nervous system, and the science of anger 10:59 Breaking the cycle while raising kids 12:14 Tools to handle anger in the moment 14:13 Teaching kids that feelings are ok, harmful behavior is not 17:03 Repair, progress, and modeling growth 19:48 When to seek support and why it matters 21:41 You are not broken, change is possible Our podcasts are also now on YouTube. If you prefer a video podcast with closed captioning, check us out there and ⁠subscribe to PedsDocTalk⁠ . Get trusted pediatric advice, relatable parenting insights, and evidence-based tips delivered straight to your inbox—join thousands of parents who rely on the PDT newsletter to stay informed, supported, and confident. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Join the newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ ! And don’t forget to follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠@pedsdoctalkpodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Instagram—our new space just for parents looking for real talk and real support. We love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on the ⁠PedsDocTalk Podcast Sponsorships⁠ page of the website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices