What is actually happening in your child’s brain during a meltdown? And, what can you do during a meltdown when nothing seems to help?
When your child is melting down, it can feel personal, urgent, and overwhelming. In this episode, Laura Petix helps you reframe behavior as a nervous system response and shows how sensory strategies can support emotional regulation.
Laura Petix is a pediatric occupational therapist and neurodiversity expert. As the creator of The OT Butterfly, she helps parents decode behavior through a sensory lens.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
(03:07) What’s happening in a child’s brain and nervous system during a meltdown.
(07:32) How sensory input builds up throughout the day and leads to emotional overload.
(09:49) Why after-school transitions are especially hard for many kids.
(14:45) The hidden sensory challenges in everyday routines like mornings and bedtime.
(19:51) How to tell when a behavior is a sensory issue versus a passing phase.
(23:43) What actually helps children during meltdowns, and what often makes things worse.
(29:26) How to teach regulation tools proactively when kids are calm.
(35:30) Why “timeouts” work differently depending on how they’re used and framed.
Thank you to Laura Petix for being on our show!
Learn more about Laura and The OT Butterfly: https://theotbutterfly.com/
Follow Laura on Instagram: https://instagram.com/theotbutterfly
Check out Laura’s podcast, Sensory W.I.S.E. Solutions Podcast for Parents: https://theotbutterfly.com/the-sensory-w-i-s-e-solutions-podcast-for-parents/
Get Laura’s book, A Kid’s Book About Neurodiversity: https://amzn.to/4qfE97g
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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.
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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
