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You’re Not the Cruise Director: A Sanity-Saving Winter Break Guide

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Release Date: 12/15/2025

Smartphones, Social Media, and the Battle for Balance (Middle & High School Edition) show art Smartphones, Social Media, and the Battle for Balance (Middle & High School Edition)

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Smartphones, Social Media, and the Battle for Balance (Middle & High School Edition) Middle school and high school phones aren’t just “screens.” They’re belonging, identity, anxiety management, and a 24/7 stream of social information—right in your kid’s pocket. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude helps you set boundaries that protect sleep, school focus, and mental health without turning your relationship into constant conflict… and without becoming the full-time group chat crisis manager. Anchor line to keep in your back pocket: “Phones are a tool and a resource. They...

info_outline When Your Kid Asks About Scary News: The HEAR Script for Hard Questions show art When Your Kid Asks About Scary News: The HEAR Script for Hard Questions

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

When Your Kid Asks About Scary News: The HEAR Script for Hard Questions Your kid overhears a scary headline, and later drops the question that hits you in the chest: “Why would someone do that… and are we safe?” In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude shares a simple, repeatable framework you can remember under stress: HEAR, so you’re not scrambling for the perfect words when your own brain goes blank. 3 to 5 key takeaways Your kid is usually asking a safety and regulation question, even if it sounds like a “why” question. Your nervous system sets the tone. The goal is not perfection,...

info_outline Won’t vs Can’t: The 3 Clues That Change Everything (Especially with Strong-Willed Kids) show art Won’t vs Can’t: The 3 Clues That Change Everything (Especially with Strong-Willed Kids)

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Won’t vs Can’t: The 3 Clues That Change Everything (Especially with Strong-Willed Kids) If you’re parenting a strong-willed kid, you’ve heard (or thought) some version of: “They just won’t.” But a lot of “won’t” moments are actually “can’t-in-that-format / can’t-in-this-moment”—and reading it wrong turns into pressure, consequences, and a fight that helps no one. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude gives you a simple, brain-based way to stop debating intent and start spotting the real barrier so you can respond with clarity (and keep expectations without turning...

info_outline When Reading Isn’t Clicking: The K–2 Evaluation, Dyslexia Questions, and What to Ask Before Retention Comes Up show art When Reading Isn’t Clicking: The K–2 Evaluation, Dyslexia Questions, and What to Ask Before Retention Comes Up

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

When Reading Isn’t Clicking: The K–2 Evaluation, Dyslexia Questions, and What to Ask Before Retention Comes Up That “Reading Support / Next Steps” email can make your stomach drop—fast. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude walks you through what a K–2 reading evaluation actually looks at (in normal human language), what “dyslexia questions” are most useful in early elementary, and what to ask for before retention becomes the whole plan. You’ll leave with clear questions, calm scripts, and a Monday-morning-ready way to keep the plan specific (not vague “more time”). In this...

info_outline When Middle School Kids Say Scary Things: “Life Is Pointless,” “Intrusive Thoughts,” “I Want to Die” — A Calm, Clear Plan for Parents show art When Middle School Kids Say Scary Things: “Life Is Pointless,” “Intrusive Thoughts,” “I Want to Die” — A Calm, Clear Plan for Parents

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

When Middle School Kids Say Scary Things: “Life Is Pointless,” “Intrusive Thoughts,” “I Want to Die” — A Calm, Clear Plan for Parents Today’s episode is for parents of middle schoolers (roughly ages 11–14)—when your kid says big, scary things like “Life is pointless,” “I have intrusive thoughts about death,” or “I want to die,” and your nervous system immediately lights up. We’re building a calm plan that takes your kid seriously without catapulting you into spiraling or minimizing. Quick note: this episode is educational. If you’re worried about immediate...

info_outline How to Get Kids Off Screens: Dopamine, Tablets, and the Battle for Balance show art How to Get Kids Off Screens: Dopamine, Tablets, and the Battle for Balance

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Episode 17: Screens, Dopamine, and the Battle for Balance (Elementary Edition) Episode summary If “screens off” turns your child into a tiny lawyer with raccoon-level regulation, you’re not alone. In this episode, Dr. Amy explains why tablets feel stickier than TV, what dopamine is actually doing in the brain, and how to build a predictable off-ramp so transitions don’t blow up your whole day. In this episode you’ll learn Why stopping screens is a stack of skills, not just “listening” Why tablets can be harder than TV (interactive, fast feedback, lots of control) What to expect...

info_outline The Home–School Mismatch: Why Your Kid Falls Apart After School (and What to Do) show art The Home–School Mismatch: Why Your Kid Falls Apart After School (and What to Do)

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Episode 16: The Home–School Mismatch: Why Your Kid Falls Apart After School (and What to Do) Episode summary If your kid is “fine at school” and then falls apart at home, this episode will make the whole thing make sense. Dr. Amy explains why the home–school mismatch happens (no shame, no blame) and how to connect what you see at home with what school sees at school so you can stop guessing and start advocating clearly. In this episode you’ll learn Why “same kid, different math” is the key reframe when school and home look totally different How to spot the hidden supports at...

info_outline After School Meltdowns: The Coke Bottle Kid show art After School Meltdowns: The Coke Bottle Kid

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Episode 15: After School Meltdowns: The Coke Bottle Kid Episode summary If your child is “fine” at school and then absolutely falls apart at home—over homework, the wrong snack, or a sibling breathing—this episode is for you. Dr. Amy Patenaude explains after-school meltdowns with the Coke Bottle Kid metaphor: school is the shaking, home is where the cap comes off. You’ll get a simple stage map (shaken → fizzing → cap-tight → pop → recovery) plus a practical strategy to release pressure before things explode. In this episode you’ll learn Why after-school meltdowns are...

info_outline What runDisney’s Dopey Challenge Taught Me About Raising Big-Feeling Kids (Boundaries, Pacing, and Repair) show art What runDisney’s Dopey Challenge Taught Me About Raising Big-Feeling Kids (Boundaries, Pacing, and Repair)

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Episode summary In this behind-the-curtain episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude shares what runDisney’s Dopey Challenge (four races in four days) taught her about endurance parenting—especially in the after-school hours when everyone’s bandwidth is gone. You’ll get a brain-based way to think about pacing, boundaries, Plan B moments, and repair—plus copy/paste school advocacy language and Tiny Wins you can try this week. In this episode you’ll learn How to shift from “fix it today” to an endurance question: “What makes later easier?” Why after-school meltdowns often mean “you hit a...

info_outline AI Parenting Help Without the Rabbit Hole: Tiny Scripts for Big Feelings show art AI Parenting Help Without the Rabbit Hole: Tiny Scripts for Big Feelings

Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents

Episode summary It’s 9:47pm, the kitchen is “less dangerous,” and then a totally normal school email sends your brain into full threat-detection mode. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude breaks down how to use AI tools like ChatGPT for parenting and school support without letting them fuel anxiety spirals, rewrite loops, or panic-research. You’ll get guardrails, a simple stop sign, and tiny scripts that help you sound like your regulated self, not your 10pm self. In this episode you’ll learn Why AI can be helpful and also a surprisingly efficient anxiety amplifier when you’re...

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Bonus Episode 1 — You Are Not the Cruise Director: A Sanity-Saving Guide to Winter Break

Episode Description

Winter break can turn parents into full-time cruise directors: planning, entertaining, smoothing… and still ending the day fried. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude explains why over-functioning fuels burnout, why boredom is actually brain-building for kids, and how to step back without everything collapsing. You’ll leave with simple scripts and Tiny Wins that make break feel calmer and more doable.

New here? Start with…

  • If you feel like you’re carrying the whole break (and getting resentful), start with Cruise Director → Guide Mode.
  • If “I’m bored” is running your house, start with the Boredom Menu.
  • If everyone’s dysregulated and everything feels heavy, start with Planned Bare Minimum Days + a Good-Enough Day definition.

In this episode, you’ll learn

  • Why Cruise Director Parenting spikes burnout and makes everyone pricklier (even with loving intentions).
  • Why boredom isn’t a moral failing—it’s a brain-based opportunity for executive functioning and internal motivation to grow.
  • Why autonomy-supportive structure works best: clear boundaries + simple choices + predictable rhythms.
  • How a Good-Enough Day metric can reduce pressure (and improve behavior).
  • How to use the Boredom Menu and planned Bare Minimum Days as guardrails (not “giving up”).

Tiny Wins (pick 1–2)

  • Define your Good-Enough Day: everyone ate, everyone moved a little, everyone connected once.
  • Make a Boredom Menu with your kids during a calm moment—and redirect to it when boredom shows up.
  • Schedule 1–2 Planned Bare Minimum Days and announce them as intentional.
  • Pick only one “big thing” per day and protect white space.

Scripts you can borrow (quick wins)

  • Cruise Director → Guide Mode: “I’m not here to entertain all day. I will help you make a plan.”
  • Boredom reframe: “Boredom is your brain looking for something to build. Let’s check the Boredom Menu.”
  • Autonomy + boundary: “You can choose A or B. I’m not adding option C.”
  • Good-Enough Day anchor: “Today’s goal is simple: eat, move, connect. That’s success.”
  • Bare Minimum Day wording: “Today is a Bare Minimum Day on purpose. We’re protecting our nervous systems.”

Episode quotes

  • “Boredom isn’t the enemy—over-functioning is what burns everyone out.”
  • “You don’t have to make winter break magical to make it meaningful.”
  • “Clear boundaries plus simple choices is the sweet spot.”

Free resource

Join the Tiny Wins email list and download the free Big Feelings Decoder here: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder

Big Feelings Decoder helps you translate intense kid behavior (like constant “I’m bored,” whining, snapping, or meltdowns) into what might be happening underneath—plus calm, nervous-system-friendly scripts to try right away.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized mental health, medical, or educational advice.

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