It is an odd notion that this is something our children in schools have to endure. School can be stressful for many, many reasons. Not just the academics, but the social piece, the cultural pulls, the peer comparison, the loneliness. How do we allow time for vulnerable nervous systems to decompress and reset? Each child is different and unique. Some may need quiet. Some may need to vent. Others might melt down. As caretakers, let’s be a quick studier of “what’s really going on with their behaviors” and release compassion and your own calm, parasympathetic state. Children and adolescents need to feel a comforting homecoming after school. Milk and cookies are sounding pretty good. Hugs and a non-judgmental posture can be so regulating.

art: @psalmprayers