Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Parenting is often lived in the extremes. It's either Great Joy or chaotic overwhelmed. In one moment you’re nailing it and the next you're losing your cool I want to help you find your way to the messy middle, to a place of balance. You see, balance is a verb not a state of being. it is a thing you do not a thing you are. it is an action a process a series of micro-corrections each and every day to keep ourselves feeling centered. We are never truly balanced. We are engaged in the process of balancing.

Hello, I’m Dr. Laura Froyen and this is the Balanced Parent podcast, where overwhelmed stressed out and disconnected parents go to find tools, mindset shifts and practices to help them stop yelling at the people they love and start connecting on a deeper level, all delivered with heaping doses of grace and compassion. Join me in conversations that will help you get clear on your goals and values and start showing up in your parenting, your relationships, YOUR LIFE, with open-hearted authenticity and balance. Let’s go!

In this week’s episode, I am joined by Dr. Bethany Bilodeau (“Dr. B”), behavior specialist and clinician, to talk about what’s really happening when kids hit, bite, or completely lose control—and how parents can stay grounded, connected, and steady in those really hard moments.

Here are the topics we covered:

Understanding aggression in young children through a sensory and regulation lens
Supporting kids during meltdowns with connection and proactive strategies
How sensory input and environment shape behavior
Shame and emotional regulation after impulsive behavior
Supporting kids who shut down after conflict
Accountability without shame when kids make mistakes

You can connect with Dr. Bethany Bilodeau and learn more at www.thebehaviorbootcamp.com and www.core-methods.com, as well as follow her on social media for additional tools and resources.

Remember, when kids get aggressive, it’s rarely about “bad behavior”—it’s about overwhelmed nervous systems, unmet needs, and moments where they don’t yet have the skills to cope.

Tune in to learn how to stay grounded during high-intensity parenting moments, understand what might be underneath aggressive behavior, and build more connection and calm even in the hardest situations.

Laura Froyen, PhD

Laura Froyen, PhD

Balanced Parent Podcast

Laura Froyen, PhD

Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

260: Hitting, Kicking, & Biting: How to Stay Calm and Grounded During Aggressive or Overwhelming Behavior with Dr. Bethany Bilodeau