Hey there, my dear listeners, and welcome back to Listening Ears podcast, your safe space for real talk on motherhood, growth and self-discovery. I'm Renee, your host, and I'm so glad you're here. Today's episode was inspired by a conversation I had with one of my girlfriends. We talked about those chaotic days, you know, the ones where our kids are melting down, the laundry's piling high and dinner is nowhere near ready and we're just trying not to yell. It got me thinking how do we truly stay grounded when everything around us feels out of control? So let's explore that together today. First off, let's clear something up being grounded does not mean being perfect. It's easy to mistake groundedness for perfection, thinking you need to handle every situation flawlessly, but that's not real life. Being grounded means you're regulated, aware and intentional. It means taking that small pause between the chaos and your response. Just the other day, I was juggling scheduling work brought home from my day job and prepping dinner when my youngest spilled milk all over her homework. My immediate reaction, of course, frustration. But then I took a deep breath. I paused and reminded myself it's just milk and we don't cry over spilt milk. And guess what? It made all the difference. That pause, that pause right, there is your parenting superpower. When life gets loud, that momentary pause helps you reclaim control. It could be a deep breath or a simple phrase like I choose calm, or just counting silently to five. Silently to five, and you know what the beauty of the pause is. Our kids learn emotional regulation from watching us. Each pause we take teaches them that they too can handle big feelings without getting overwhelmed. It's about modeling the calm we hope that they'll embrace.

All right, let's get practical. Here's some tools you can use immediately to help you in those real-life moments. First, sensory grounding. When things begin to spiral, try naming five things. You see four things you can touch, three sounds. You hear, two things. You smell and one thing you taste.

This simple exercise pulls you back into the present moment. Exercise pulls you back into the present moment. Next, step away briefly. It's okay to say to your children I'll be back when I'm ready to speak kindly. This models healthy boundaries and teaching them it's okay to pause. It also lets your child know that we're all human and we all need to take a beat sometimes. Finally, you can use visual anchors like a bracelet, a note or flyer on your fridge, or even some calming essential oils Something tangible that can bring you back to center.

Remember, grounding isn't for picture-perfect, quiet homes. It's for the messy, real, real life homes like yours and mine. So, as we wrap up today, remember, if things get loud, messy or even overwhelming, give yourself permission to pause. You're not failing because it's hard. You're parenting, you're growing and you're beautifully human. I'd love to hear from you what's your go-to grounding strategy. What's your go-to grounding strategy? Share it and tell me what resonated with you most today. If this episode spoke to your heart, please don't forget to follow and leave a review. It helps more women find this nurturing and affirming space. Thanks for listening. As always, take care of yourself and until next time, stay grounded and stay you.