Wisdom Wednesday

Welcome back to Wednesday Wisdom at 8! 🔥 You know what's interesting about this bonfire?
It needs fuel to keep burning. Remove the fuel, and eventually the fire goes out.
Your child's meltdowns work the same way. Here's the hard truth: Sometimes we accidentally ADD fuel to their fire without even realizing it.
When we:
Match their intensity with our own big emotions
Keep talking and explaining when they're already escalated Issue threats or consequences in the heat of the moment Ask questions they can't answer when dysregulated
Try to logic our way through their emotional storm
We're throwing logs on the fire. But here's the good news - you can learn to REMOVE the fuel instead. What does that look like?
Lower your voice instead of raising it Use fewer words, not more.
Get physically calm so their nervous system can mirror yours.
Give space instead of hovering.
Wait for the calm to talk, teach, or problem-solve.
The meltdown may still happen - but it won't rage as long or as hot when you stop feeding it.
This is one of the strategies I teach in Frazzled to Joyful - learning to recognize when WE'RE the fuel and what to do instead.
What's one way you've accidentally added fuel to a meltdown? No judgment here - we've all done it!  See you next Wednesday at 8!