Why You Have to Regulate Yourself Before You Can Help Your Child | The CARE Framework, Part 1

Most parenting advice starts with your child's behavior. The CARE Framework starts somewhere different — with you. In this first video of our CARE Framework series, Heather Traeden (BCBA, Clinical Director of Balance in Behavior) and Miriam Kaiyo introduce the framework and dive into the first step: Connect — the practice of returning to yourself before engaging with a challenging moment. When we're flooded, dysregulated, or running on empty, we literally cannot respond the way we want to. Our nervous system is in survival mode, and that affects everything downstream — how we see the behavior, how we react, and what our child's nervous system does in response. Connection isn't about being a perfect, unbothered parent. It's about being honest about where you are, and taking that one breath — that one moment — before things escalate. As Viktor Frankl wrote: between stimulus and response, there is a space — and in that space lies our freedom. This video covers: → Why the CARE Framework starts with the parent, not the child → What regulation actually looks like in the middle of a hard moment → How the parent's nervous system anchors the entire family system → Simple, real-world ways to build connection with yourself throughout your day Whether you're newly navigating a diagnosis or have been in the thick of it for years, this framework meets you where you are — one micro-movement at a time. _________________________ Get free resources sent straight to your inbox. We created the Balance at Home newsletter for parents like you — practical tools, research-backed strategies, and real support for your family. Sign up free at: 👉 https://balanceinbehavior.com/support Continue the series: Part 2 — Attune: How to Make Your Child Feel Safe Before You Problem-Solve Part 3 — Read: What Your Child's Behavior Is Actually Trying to Tell You Part 4 — Engage: How to Turn Insight Into Action (Even When You're Overwhelmed) _________________________ About Balance in Behavior Balance in Behavior is an ABA therapy practice serving families of neurodivergent children in the Wasatch Front area of Utah. Our mission extends beyond the therapy room — we believe informed, supported parents change families. balanceinbehavior.com _________________________ #CAREFramework #AutismParenting #NeurodivergentFamily #ABATherapy #ParentingSupport #SelfRegulation #BalanceInBehavior #BalanceAtHome #NeurodivergentParenting #ParentingNeurodivergentKids #AutismMom #AutismDad #ADHDParenting #SensoryProcessing #ParentWellness #CoRegulation #MindfulParenting #FamilySupport #UtahFamilies