Mom Needs a Moment: Why You Still Yell Even When You Know Better (And How to Stop) with Dr. Cassidy Freitas

Have you read all the parenting books, followed the expert social media accounts, and known exactly what you want to say to your child—only to find yourself frustrated and yelling in the heat of the moment? You are not alone.

In this episode, I welcome back licensed therapist, author, and crowd-favorite social media follower, Dr. Cassidy Freitas. Together, we take the shame out of "mom rage" and explore the painful gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it when it matters most. Dr. Cassidy dives into the core concepts of her new book, Mom Needs a Moment, explaining how our childhood "rulebooks," sensory overload, and a lack of societal "margins" trigger our nervous systems into survival mode. Tune in to learn how to catch your triggers, build a buffer between stimulus and reaction, and use the ultimate parenting superpower: the power of repair.

In this episode, we cover:

• The deep shame mothers face when they know the right parenting techniques but still find themselves yelling in moments of frustration.

• How Dr. Cassidy pulled together a decade of clinical themes and personal experiences as a mother of three to write her new book, Mom Needs a Moment.

• How childhood survival "rulebooks" and an overstimulated nervous system cause parents to default to reactive habits like fight, flight, or freeze.

• The desperate need for modern parents to consciously protect empty "margins" of space on their calendars to regulate their bodies outside of stressful moments.

• A powerful look at how breaking generational cycles allows parents to build a lasting emotional legacy for future generations.

Connect with Dr. Cassidy Freitas on Instagram @drcassidy, visit her site https://www.drcassidymft.com/ and buy her new book: https://go.shopmy.us/p-69435027 (paid link)

Check out our earlier episode on EMDR: https://pedsdoctalk.com/podcast/trauma-therapy-why-you-may-need-emdr/ 

00:00 - Introduction & The Parenting Gap

01:54 - EMDR Therapy & Processing Motherhood

03:49 - A Psychic Medium's Prediction & Toxic Perfectionism

06:33 - Impact vs. Notoriety

08:55 - How the Book Got Its Title

11:31 - The Overstimulated Digital Parenting Era

13:40 - Why Do We Snap? (The Survival Rulebook)

19:57 - Dr. Mona’s Instagram Troll Trigger

22:59 - Why Insight Alone Isn't Enough to Change Behavior

24:42 - What Are Margins? (Before, During, & After)

32:50 - The Chocolate Popsicle Story

37:46 - The Power of a Child Expecting Repair

42:20 - ADHD, Hyperfocus, and Managing Interruptions

43:53 - Breaking Generational Cycles Without Blame

49:27 - Reclaiming Your Intuition

52:24 - Building Legacy & Finding Joy

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