Ep. 136 - Teaching Frustration Tolerance to My PDA Child?

December 9, 2025·55 min·5 clips

Casey shares how her journey as a mom of a PDA child led to coaching hundreds of parents out of burnout.

This episode features host Casey, founder of At Peace Parents, coaching guest Amanda, a parent in Los Angeles, on navigating Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) with her child. Casey is a mother of PDA children who coaches parents weekly to foster stability and connection. The conversation focuses on Amanda's specific question about teaching frustration tolerance to her PDA child. Casey and Amanda discuss practical strategies for parents facing similar behavioral challenges. The dialogue centers on applying non-judgmental and compassionate parenting techniques within the home. Amanda shares her personal context and feelings about participating in the live coaching session. A key insight is the importance of the parent's own emotional regulation as a foundation for teaching a child. The approach emphasizes moving away from traditional discipline models that can escalate conflict with PDA profiles. Casey's method involves reframing demands and reducing perceived threats to the child's autonomy. The coaching prioritizes building safety and connection over directly targeting the child's behavior. A surprising perspective is that a parent's frustration tolerance must often be addressed first. The session validates that progress is measured in subtle shifts in family dynamics, not immediate behavioral compliance. Memorable moments include Amanda's candid admission of not feeling nervous, contrasting with Casey's weekly nerves. The exchange highlights the shared, yet personal, journey of parenting children with high demand avoidance. The core takeaway is that sustainable change comes from shifting parental mindset and responses. The tone is supportive, conversational, and instructional, blending personal anecdote with coaching guidance. The style is practical and empathetic, focusing on real-time problem-solving for a specific parent's situation. This episode is ideal for parents or caregivers of children with PDA seeking concrete, compassionate strategies. Listeners looking for broad theoretical discussions or clinical diagnostics might find the content too narrowly focused on applied coaching.

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