You want to be honest with your child… but when emotions run high, it can be hard to know where the line is between healthy emotional expression and unintentionally putting a burden on your young child, teen, or young-adult kid.

If you’ve ever felt terrified, overwhelmed, or lost in the fear of “what if,” and weren’t sure whether to show your child how scared you really are…
If you’ve ever wondered why expressing your emotions towards your child sometimes leads to more distance instead of more connection…
Or if you’ve ever felt the urge to show your child just how upset, hurt, or worried you are, especially when their behavior frightens you, but aren’t sure whether that helps or harms…

You are not alone, and this episode will bring clarity to something many parents quietly wrestle with.

Today, I’m joined by therapist Dana VanRenterghem to talk honestly about how to express emotions to your child in a healthy, appropriate way. We explore why kids should never be responsible for managing a parent’s emotional world, how even well-intentioned honesty can become emotional dumping, and how easy it is to cross the line without realizing it.

We get into the nuance: your emotions are real and valid… but they’re still your emotions. So how do you pause, regulate, and come back to your child from a grounded place instead of fear? We also talk about the caregiver–seeker roles in attachment, how role reversals happen, why they’re so confusing, and how to repair if you’ve shared too much in the past.

In this episode on how to express emotions to your child, we discuss:

• Why sharing “big feelings” with your child can accidentally create shame
• The difference between emotional honesty and emotional burden
• What to say when you’re scared, angry, or overwhelmed
• How to pause and regulate before returning to your child
• The caregiver vs. seeker roles (and what happens when they get reversed)
• How to repair with your child when you’ve said too much or reacted too fast
• Why your child is not responsible for your feelings
• What emotional expression looks like in healthy parent–child communication
• Where parents should take their big feelings (hint: not to your child)

Looking for support?

🗺️Need help setting healthy boundaries with your teen AND following through? My free guide will help you do so by creating your own Parent Home Plan!

🤍Influence lasting change in yourself and your struggling teen with my private coaching or parent group program specifically created for parents of struggling teens.

Have a question or need support? You can email me at beth@bethhillmancoaching.com

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And remember parents, the change begins with us.

✨ Free 4-week workshop for parents of teens and young adults: Stop Enabling & Start Supporting — Your Young Adult in 2026.

Hosted by Not Therapy (former “troubled teens” turned coaches who’ve supported 70+ teens/YAs) and parent coach Beth Hillman.

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