Tiny Wins Roadmap: Designing Your Family’s Game Plan for This Year
Psyched2Parent: Turning Brain Science into Tiny Wins for Parents
Release Date: 01/01/2026
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_outlineTiny Wins Roadmap: Designing Your Family’s Game Plan for This Year
Episode summary
It’s easy to build a beautiful family plan in January and then feel crushed when real life shows up. In today’s episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude shares a brain-based alternative: the Tiny Wins Roadmap. You’ll pick a North Star for how you want home to feel, name one skill your child is practicing, and choose one Tiny Win to run as a simple 7-day experiment so your plan works on a random Tuesday, not just on a motivated Sunday.
In this episode you’ll learn
- How to choose a North Star word that guides your whole year without turning into rigid rules
- What Tiny Wins actually means and why outcomes are not actions
- The brain-based reason routines help: predictability lowers stress and reduces decision fatigue
- How to frame hard moments as skill practice (starting, sticking, transitioning) instead of character flaws
- A real-life after-school homework start line routine you can copy: snack, decompress, 7-minute timer, start together
- A short school email script to get teachers on the same team with skill-based language
Tiny Wins to try this week
Pick one. One is enough.
- The 5-minute Sunday Game Plan: Set a 5-minute timer. Pick one Tiny Win for the week. Write it on a sticky note.
- Anchor a habit: After teeth, do a 2-minute tomorrow check (clothes and backpack).
- Environment tweak: Create a backpack hook or landing zone, choose one timer location, or set up a visible snack bin.
- Skill-based praise: “I noticed you started even though you didn’t want to. That’s the skill.”
Free resources
Download the Boredom Buster Cheat Sheet
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
Grab 50 AI Prompts for Exhausted Parents
Want help finding words when your brain is fried? Download 50 AI Prompts for Exhausted Parents, tiny scripts for meltdowns, school emails, screen time, all of it. Copy a prompt into ChatGPT and let it help you draft the words so your tired brain doesn’t have to start from scratch:
https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/aiprompts4parents
Join the Tiny Wins email list + download the free Big Feelings Decoder
If you’re parenting a big-feeling, strong-willed kid and you’re thinking, “What is happening right now?” I made something for you. Get simple, brain-based support for parenting big feelings, plus a quick guide to help you decode what’s really going on underneath meltdowns and shutdowns.
Big Feelings Decoder: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder
Disclaimer
This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or legal advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a provider-client relationship. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, safety, or development, please consult a qualified professional in your area.