If you want to listen to a discussion of this blog article, then you can listen on The Regulated Mother Podcast, by Afshan Tafler on Apple or Spotify

A Moment That Changed Everything

I remember a time when my son and I were caught in a painful cycle—one that seemed impossible to break. Every time ...

If you want to listen to a discussion of this blog article, then you can listen on The Regulated Mother Podcast, by Afshan Tafler on Apple or Spotify

It was a usual day in our household a few years back. I would wake up with barely enough time to meet my own basic needs before my son needed me. He’...

If you want to listen to a discussion of this blog article, then you can listen on The Regulated Mother Podcast, by Afshan Tafler on Apple or Spotify

Content note: This article contains a story that touches on suicidal thoughts during a moment of emotional collapse. If you're in a vulnerable state,...

If you want to listen to a discussion of this blog article, then you can listen on The Regulated Mother Podcast, by Afshan Tafler on Apple or Spotify

Staying with the Good

Today, I feel good.

I’m walking in the forest—which is very regulating for me—and I’m allowing myself to stay with this good ...

If you want to listen to a discussion of this blog article, then you can listen on The Regulated Mother Podcast, by Afshan Tafler on Apple or Spotify

I Want to Feel Grateful... But How?

I want to feel grateful for being a mother. I really do. But how?

Every Mother’s Day, I feel this pressure to t...

I hated going to toy stores after this experience.  My son and I were at a toy store together one time, and he was playing with Thomas the train on the train tracks table.  He was having fun, until another kid came along and wanted to play too.  My son screamed at him and chucked a train at him.  Th...

When my son first began to try to control me, like when I can go to the bathroom, my nervous system had a really hard time with this.  I have always had a strong visceral reaction to being controlled, but I really tried to contain this because he’s Autistic and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), a...

Let’s face it…Parenting can be a real challenge in the face of a child who keeps doing or saying things you don’t like.

The path I see most parents take is the following:

Try to stay calm and convince the child to do what you want them to do.

Child doesn’t listen and/or is defiant.

P...

Although the idea of the holidays and "vacation time" can feel so exciting and relaxing, it often becomes the opposite experience, leaving you wondering if this is really a "holiday" or a "stress-oliday".

Why can the holidays be such a triggering time for many?

I'm sure you can relate to the...

The most common pattern I see in parents who are reactive towards their kids is they are hard on themselves.

Many of us believe that in order to do better in life we must be hard on ourselves.

You might be thinking…nah…that’s not me…but let’s just entertain this for a moment to see if this really ...