Meltdowns! No one likes them and some parents feel assaulted by them when their kids are having a hard time. Here's a new way of looking at them that will hopefully give you some more patience and understanding. Lots of kids hold themselves together all day at school - swallowing their anxiety and even holding back tears, at times. When they see Mom or Dad, they feel safe to let it out, hence, the after-school meltdown, the after-sleepover meltdown, the after-birthday party meltdown, etc... Our kids are just releasing what they've been holding in all day. Make the observation for them that they need to release their big feelings from the whole day (before or after the meltdown) and give them options for the future. For example, a game of one-on-one, a bike ride or anything physical; a good chat about what was hard about the day; a creative outlet like drawing, painting, writing... Help your kids to navigate their big feelings without taking their behavior personally.
Wishing you balance,
Bette Alkazian, LMFT
Balanced Parenting
www.BalancedParenting.com
from MOMIPEDIA on Facebook
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