Dear RC family, 

     Did today start out like any other day? Wake up, eye the chaos of the toys on the floor, the dog pawing at the door to go out, and the one minute of quiet (if that) before the house is awake and begins to demand your attention. While the home rhythm may be the same everyday, your child’s rhythm might not be. I find that parents and therapists alike wonder how a child’s regulation status could be so different from day to day. Is it because they literally woke up on the wrong side of the bed? Sometimes this feels like the most plausible answer. 

     To keep it brief, the human body was created to do amazing things, but sometimes the signals (internal and external), and the integration of them gets so jumbled that the body turns itself on its head. A dysregulated child is likely in a state of stress (think: overly hyper, constantly moving, angry, screaming, frustrated, distracted). 

     In other words, their sympathetic nervous system is turned up to fight off a threat (which may be real or perceived). When the body is in this state, hormones are released to keep the body alive. This response and these hormones are a necessity for survival. The body is preparing for a literal physical response to danger. Many of the kids I see at the clinic are in this state throughout most of the day. Meaning, their bodies are ready to respond to a perceived danger at any time, even if the danger is not there. 

     The parasympathetic nervous system is vital for survival as well. This system is also formed by a network of nerves, but nerves and hormones that relax your body after periods of stress or danger. The PNS is in charge of life-sustaining processes, like digestion, during times when you feel safe and relaxed (for those of you with potty challenges, don’t worry, I will have a blog posting for that down the road, I promise). 

     The question persists-how do I get my child into a relaxed state. Here are some simple ideas to use at home for your child especially if they seem dysregulated, cranky, inflexible, upset and/or sensitive today. 

     Pro tip- just remember, children need to play. The PNS is activated during play, so let them be little. You may have to model these activities before they even go near it. Make it dramatic and funny, laugh a lot, and see if your sympathetic nervous system may have been firing too. 

     Hope these activities help bring some joy and good hormones to your day. 

– Jessie