How can connection lead to more cooperation from your toddlers?
Toddlerhood can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a constant battle. In this episode, you’ll learn how play, connection, and mindset shifts can transform everyday challenges into opportunities for growth. Devon Kuntzman joins Melissa and Esther and shares practical tools to help you navigate tantrums, transitions, and big emotions while building trust and resilience with your child.
Devon Kuntzman is the creator of Transforming Toddlerhood, an author, and a trusted guide for parents navigating the toddler years with more connection and confidence.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
(06:11) Why play is the most underused and powerful parenting tool during toddlerhood.
(08:19) How slowing down and engaging in play can actually make daily routines easier.
(12:05) How play-based transitions reduce resistance when moving from one activity to another.
(16:11) The difference between tantrums and meltdowns and why it matters as kids grow.
(18:22) How shifting your mindset helps you respond calmly to emotional outbursts.
(19:57) Why staying grounded as a parent is more effective than trying to fix emotions.
(25:46) How modeling mistakes and repair teaches kids lifelong emotional skills.
(26:44) How to introduce consent and body safety in age-appropriate ways from early childhood.
Thank you to Devon Kuntzman for being on our show!
Learn more about Devon and Transforming Toddlerhood: https://www.transformingtoddlerhood.com/
Follow Devon on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/transformingtoddlerhood/
Get Devon’s book, Transforming Toddlerhood: How to Handle Tantrums, End Power Struggles, and Raise Resilient Kids, Without Losing Your Mind: https://www.transformingtoddlerhood.com/book/
Subscribe and follow the "We’re Doing Great" podcast by Melissa Cash, Esther Huybreghts, and the Pok Pok team:
* Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1855989506
* Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ItWi8W0bYFS6yplP3tQii
* YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@WereDoingGreatPodcast?sub_confirmation=1
* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weredoinggreatpod/
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We’re Doing Great is the parenting podcast that helps you navigate the hard stuff, savor the good stuff, and remember you’re not alone. Hosts and moms, Melissa Cash and Esther Huybreghts, team up with experts to share practical guidance on how to stay anchored when the waters get rough. Join us on the frontlines of modern parenting as we explore what it really means to be good at the hardest job on earth.
Pok Pok is on a mission to help raise the next generation of creative thinkers through non-addictive, digital tools that help them think outside the box and learn through play.
Learn more about Pok Pok: https://playpokpok.com.
Follow Pok Pok on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@studiopokpok?sub_confirmation=1
This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
