Is your child “good” at school and for everyone else but fills your life and home with meltdowns, misbehavior, ugly moods, disrespect, etc.? We hear this often from parents who have children with lots of different kinds of challenges. Our guess is that these children give everything they’ve got outside the home to be “good”. Then, they are exhausted and are at the end of themselves when home. Here are some ideas that you can implement that could make a difference:
These tried and true ideas work for many.
- Could they need a snack? Sometimes the blood sugar gets low and a simple healthy snack right away makes the difference.
- Try some calming techniques. Something as simple as a deep massage on all four limbs for just two minutes or some trunk to trunk bear hugs work. Taking a few minutes to read a favorite book in a quiet place works wonders. Classical music with no words played softly calm a child.
- Do something physical. A short walk in the neighborhood, a bike ride, jumping jacks, a dance break, an obstacle course where they have to do things like crawl, jump, climb through something, swing, hang on a bar, etc. gets them out of the grumpies or anxiety or meltdown mode.
With much love, Tom and Julie Meekins
