Winter Break Meltdowns: Why Kids Struggle Without Routine and What Helps
Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents
Release Date: 12/22/2025
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,...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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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Brain Traffic Jams: When Executive Function Collides with Real Life
Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents
Episode summary Mornings, homework, transitions, and bedtime can turn into total chaos when your child’s executive function system hits overload. In this episode, I’ll help you spot an executive function “traffic jam” in real time, translate “won’t” into “can’t yet, not like this,” and use simple supports that lower conflict without lowering expectations. You’ll leave with scripts you can say out loud and Tiny Wins that act like on-ramps when real life is coming in hot at 7:42 a.m. In this episode you’ll learn What executive functioning is (and what it is not) in plain...
info_outlineWinter Break Meltdowns: Why Kids Struggle Without Routine and What Helps
Winter break is supposed to feel cozy and fun. But for a lot of families, it turns into clingy kids, more meltdowns over tiny things, and that constant question on repeat: “What are we doing next?” In this bonus episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude explains what’s happening in your child’s brain when the school routine disappears, why “relaxing family time” can feel like chaotic whiplash, and how to build a simple winter break rhythm that helps kids feel safe without turning you into a drill sergeant. You’ll leave with an easy daily plan, ready-to-steal scripts, and one Tiny Wins tool: Move, Meet, Mellow.
In this episode, you’ll learn
- Why kids’ brains often struggle when routines suddenly disappear
- What “winter break wobbles” can look like in real life and why it’s normal
- How predictability helps your child’s nervous system feel safer
- A simple daily rhythm that reduces decision fatigue and control battles
- How to reframe “they’re being ungrateful” into “they feel wobbly”
- Scripts to use when your child is stuck, clingy, or spiraling
- A Tiny Wins framework that makes break feel easier for everyone
Tiny Wins (pick 1–2)
- Put a Daily Trail Map on the fridge for tomorrow using 5–7 simple blocks
- Choose one anchor you’ll keep steady all week (outside after lunch, quiet time at 2:00, consistent bedtime start)
- Try Move, Meet, Mellow once a day and keep everything else flexible
- Use one script one time before the meltdown hits: “Your brain likes to know the plan. Here’s our rhythm today.”
Scripts you can borrow
Name what’s happening in the brain
“Break days feel really different to your brain. School days have a rhythm. On break, things feel wobbly, so big feelings show up faster. Let’s make a simple plan for today.”
The gentle daily map
“We’re not doing a strict schedule, but here’s our rhythm: breakfast, then quiet play while I work, lunch, outside, then screen time.”
The stuck moment menu
“You’re not sure what to do right now. Want to pick one: something to move your body, something with another person, or something mellow?”
The transition reframe
“Switching from school days to home days is a big change. Your grumpy feelings are your brain saying, ‘This is different.’ We’re going to give it time and a little structure.”
Episode quotes
- “Nothing is wrong with you or your kids. Their brains just lost their trail map.”
- “You don’t need a strict schedule. You need a few trail markers.”
- “Big feelings on break are often a nervous system signal, not a gratitude problem.”
Free resource
Download the Boredom Buster Cheat Sheet, a kid-friendly Move, Meet, Mellow menu with activity ideas, simple steps to use it, and calm scripts for screen-time boundaries: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/boredomebusterguide
Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized mental health, medical, or educational advice.
Links
- Big Feelings Decoder: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder