Supadupakids

26/12/2025

This Period Is Harder Than Christmas Day - Here's Why
You're in the hardest part of summer holidays. If your child is more difficult NOW than they were ON Christmas Day - this is why.

What's happening:
Christmas Day had high arousal but clear structure: presents at this time, lunch at that time, specific events.

These past two days (Boxing Day and today) have low structure, uncertain timing, vague plans ("we'll see how we feel").

Research shows sustained uncertainty creates MORE stress than intense but predictable events.

What you're seeing right now:

Constant "What are we doing?" questions (attempts to create predictability), more meltdowns than Christmas Day, difficulty with transitions, sleep disruption worsening, increased sibling conflict

Why this is neurologically harder:
Children rely on environmental structure for regulation. Predictable routines reduce cognitive load. Without routine, they must constantly process: What time is it? What are we doing? When? What comes after?
This continuous uncertainty depletes executive function resources rapidly.
What to do from NOW until New Year:

Create minimal structure:
Consistent wake time (within 30 minutes - set alarms)
Same breakfast routine
Brief morning check-in: "Today: morning at home, pool afternoon, home for dinner"
Consistent meal times
10-minute warnings before transitions
Consistent bedtime routine

Each day: Morning routine → one activity maximum → quiet afternoon → predictable evening → earlier bedtime than usual

What NOT to do: Multiple activities per day, last-minute plan changes, "let's see how we feel," late nights without warning

For educators on break: When you return in late January, you'll see massive dysregulation first week back. Children will be recovering from 2-3 weeks minimal structure. They haven't "forgotten" behaviour - they're recalibrating from sustained uncertainty.

Take our Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

25/12/2025

Boxing Day: Your child might still be processing yesterday's excitement. Here's what to do TODAY. Research shows individual differences in how quickly nervous systems return to baseline after high-arousal events. Yesterday was intense. Today requires specific support.

🐯 Tiger children TODAY: What you're seeing: Still hyperactive, possibly MORE dysregulated than yesterday, seeking intense physical activity What they need: 60+ minutes sustained outdoor physical activity this morning (beach, pool, park), heavy physical work (moving Christmas boxes, rearranging furniture), discharge accumulated arousal through movement

🦉 Owl children TODAY: What you're seeing: Withdrawn, quiet, may seem flat or uninterested in new toys What they need: Processing time in quiet space, no social demands today, let them play with one or two new toys at own pace, don't force interaction with relatives who want to visit

🐢 Turtle children TODAY: What you're seeing: Continued irritability, complaints about everything, physical symptoms (headache, tummy ache) What they need: Very low sensory input all day (stay home, dim lights, quiet), practice using their coping tools from yesterday (what worked? what didn't?), build their capacity gradually - today's rest helps them participate better tomorrow

🐬 Dolphin children TODAY: What you're seeing: Sudden meltdowns, unusual resistance What they need: Explicit check-in about their actual state, don't accept "I'm fine," make decisions based on what you observe not what they say
Recovery time varies: some return to baseline in hours; others need days. Today's behaviour is yesterday's consequence.

The goal: Help them recover so they can participate in future events, not avoid all future events.

Take our Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

25/12/2025

24/12/2025

Merry Christmas from the SupaDupaKids family to yours! 🎄✨
May your day be filled with laughter, love, and all the magic that makes Christmas special.
Here's to full hearts, happy chaos, present paper everywhere, and memories being made right now. 🎅 Wishing you a SupaDupa Christmas! 🎁

23/12/2025

Christmas Eve nerves are real. If your child is struggling tonight - restless, emotional, unable to settle - that's their nervous system responding to anticipation and uncertainty.

Research shows anticipation creates arousal in children. They know something significant is coming, but cannot control when or how. This lack of control activates stress responses.

What you're seeing:
Hyperactivity or inability to settle
Emotional volatility (tears, anger, excitement cycling rapidly)
Sleep resistance tonight
Increased sibling conflict
Regression to younger behaviours

The mechanism: Anticipation keeps the nervous system in heightened arousal. The prefrontal cortex (managing waiting and impulse control) is working overtime. For young children with developing executive function, this is genuinely difficult.

What helps:

Concrete information: "After dinner, bath, story, sleep. When you wake up, then presents."
Physical activity this afternoon to discharge some arousal
Earlier bedtime than usual (they won't sleep, but quiet time helps)
Lower expectations for behaviour tonight

Temperament considerations:
🐯 Tigers: Need significant movement opportunities today. Arousal shows as increased motor activity.
🦉 Owls: Need clear, detailed information about tomorrow's schedule. Uncertainty increases stress.
🐢 Turtles: Keep today calmer than usual. They're already anticipating tomorrow's sensory intensity. Equip them with tools to manage it.
🐬 Dolphins: Check in explicitly about their feelings. They'll say they're fine when they're not.

For tomorrow: Anticipation stress often peaks tonight. Tomorrow morning, once presents start, many children settle because uncertainty resolves.

Peaceful Christmas Eve to all. 🎄

Take our Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

23/12/2025

Tomorrow and the 25th brings predictable challenges based on temperament.
Research on child stress shows high-stimulation days significantly impact regulatory capacity. Christmas combines multiple stressors simultaneously.

🐯 Tiger children: Challenge: Extended sitting conflicts with movement needs What helps: Movement before sit-down portions, allow standing during presents, movement breaks between activities, proprioceptive tasks (carrying items, heavy objects)

🦉 Owl children: Challenge: New people, toys, expectations for immediate enthusiasm create arousal requiring processing time What helps: Advance information, let them watch from safe distance (sitting with you) before engaging, don't force thank-yous, give warm-up time to new toys

🐢 Turtle children: Challenge: Simultaneous input (noise, lights, smells, textures, people) likely exceeds threshold What helps: Equip them to manage it - headphones available, fidget tools ready, teach "I need 5 minutes" and return, one quiet corner identified they can use briefly then rejoin

🐬 Dolphin children: Challenge: Accommodate everyone else until sudden capacity loss What helps: Explicitly check what THEY want, watch for subtle overwhelm signs, don't assume they're fine, protect their needs even when they say they're okay

Universal recommendations: Maintain wake/sleep times, ensure adequate food/hydration, plan recovery after high-arousal portions

Tomorrow could get intense. These strategies help them participate successfully, not avoid it. Wishing a Peaceful Christmas Eve and Christmas to our families. 🎄

Take our Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

22/12/2025

A few days until Christmas. Here's what early overwhelm looks like - and what to do RIGHT NOW. Different temperaments show stress differently. Catching signals today prevents full meltdowns on Christmas Day.

🐯 Tiger children - Early warning signs TODAY:
Climbing furniture more than usual
Rougher play with siblings
Louder voice, can't modulate volume
“Bouncing off walls”

What to do NOW: 45+ minutes intense physical activity this morning (swimming, running, park), create appropriate outlets for big movement (backyard obstacle course, water play), assign heavy work tasks (carrying shopping, moving furniture)

🦉 Owl children - Early warning signs TODAY:
Going quiet more than usual
Hiding in their room
Clinging to you
Not wanting to talk about Christmas

What to do NOW: Sit with them and walk through what happens on Christmas Day, show photos of who's coming, create visual schedule together, give explicit permission: "You can watch and warm up slowly - no rush"

🐢 Turtle children - Early warning signs TODAY:
Covering ears more
Complaining about clothes, sounds, smells
More irritable than usual
Asking to stay home

What to do NOW: Reduce sensory input today - minimal outings, quiet day at home if possible, prepare their sensory kit for Christmas Day, practice using coping tools (headphones, fidget, breathing), let them know the plan for managing overwhelm on Christmas

🐬 Dolphin children - Early warning signs TODAY:
Sudden tears "from nowhere"
Unusual resistance to requests
Saying "I'm fine" when clearly not
Physical complaints

What to do NOW: Direct check-in: "You've been accommodating everyone. What do YOU need?", watch their body not their words, make decisions based on their actual state not what they say

If you see these signs TODAY, intervene NOW. Don't wait until Christmas Day.

Take our Child Temperament Quiz: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

22/12/2025

Christmas mismatch: when your child's temperament doesn't fit festive expectations. Thomas and Chess (1977) introduced "goodness of fit" - the match between a child's temperament and environmental demands.

Common festive mismatches:
🐯 Tiger children (high activity level) + forced stillness
Problem: Movement is regulatory requirement, not optional
Better fit: Movement breaks before meals, standing allowed at table, walks between courses, fidget tools available

🦉 Owl children (behavioural inhibition) + immediate participation
Problem: They require observation time before engagement
Better fit: Allow watching without pressure, advance information about attendees, don't force greetings, accept gradual warm-up

🐢 Turtle children (high sensory sensitivity) + high-input environments
Problem: Low sensory threshold means genuine neurological overwhelm
Better fit: Equip them to manage the environment - noise-reducing headphones when overwhelmed, fidget tools for regulation, weighted items for grounding, teach them to communicate "I need a 5-minute break" and return, identify one quiet corner they can use briefly then rejoin, build their tolerance and coping skills rather than avoiding environments entirely

🐬 Dolphin children (high adaptability) + assumption they're fine
Problem: They suppress needs to accommodate others
Better fit: Proactive check-ins about actual state, watch for subtle signs (tears, physical complaints), protect their needs even when they insist, they're okay

Research shows poor fit increases behaviour problems - not from temperament itself, but from environmental mismatch creating stress. Good fit allows better functioning.

This means: Adjusting expectations to match temperamental capacity while building their skills, providing supports that help them manage environments, teaching coping strategies for challenging situations.

Not: Avoiding all difficult environments, expecting the world to accommodate them, never experiencing challenge. The goal is equipping children to participate successfully, not changing every environment or leaving early every time.

https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

21/12/2025

Four days until Christmas. Here's what each temperament needs this week.

🐯Tiger children (high activity level):
Tigers require movement for optimal arousal regulation.

🐯This week:
Every morning: 30+ minutes gross motor play
Before Christmas lunch: Beach, pool, or park first
During errands: Heavy work (pushing trolley, carrying bags)

🐯What this looks like:
Your Tiger becomes restless and physically rough without movement. After 30 minutes active play, they sit through lunch calmly.

🦉Owl children (behavioural inhibition):
Owls require processing time when facing novelty.

🦉This week:
Tomorrow: Show photographs of relatives, discuss who's coming
Tuesday: Create visual schedule (wake 7am, presents 8am, lunch 12pm)
Christmas morning: Allow observation time

🦉What this looks like:
Your Owl goes quiet and clings when relatives arrive. After 20 minutes watching, they gradually interact on their terms.

🐢Turtle children (high sensory sensitivity):
Turtles have lower sensory thresholds - high-input environments overwhelm them.

🐢This week:
Shopping: Headphones, low-traffic times
Christmas clothing: Comfortable fabrics
Before lunch: Identify quiet retreat space
Pack kit: weighted item, fidget, headphones
26-27 December: Stay home

🐢What this looks like:
Your Turtle covers ears at shops, complains outfit is scratchy, melts down after 2 hours. With supports, they manage 3 hours.

🐬Dolphin children (high adaptability):
Dolphins suppress needs to maintain harmony.

🐬This week:
Daily: "What do YOU want?" Push for actual preference
Monitor: tearfulness, physical complaints, withdrawal
Protection: "You need rest. We're staying home."

🐬What this looks like:
Your Dolphin says "I'm fine!" all day, then complete meltdown at bedtime. They accommodated everyone until capacity ran out.

Take our Child Temperament Quiz:
https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/

21/12/2025

Planning Christmas lunch with extended family? Some children need extra support to manage it.
Research shows approximately 5-16% of children have significantly lower sensory thresholds (estimates vary across studies). What others experience as "festive atmosphere" registers to them as neurological or sensory overwhelm. They need strategies to navigate social settings successfully.

At Christmas lunch, they're processing:

Overlapping conversations simultaneously
Unexpected hugs from relatives
Clashing food smells, perfumes
Bright decorations, flashing lights
Scratchy Christmas outfits

This is genuine sensory overload - and they need support learning to manage it.

BEFORE lunch:

Scout the venue - show your child the quiet escape space
Pack sensory kit: headphones, fidget, weighted toy, chewy snack
Avoid screen time if it causes meltdowns when stopped
Comfortable clothes over scratchy outfits. Comfort > photos.
Teach exit signal: tug sleeve twice = "I need out"
Include them in meal prep
Prepare them: "Today will be busy with family. We'll work together to keep you comfortable and everyone happy."
Brief family about your child's needs if needed

DURING lunch:

Offer regular proprioceptive input: "Carry this heavy dish" "Do 10 star jumps" "Push these chairs"
Watch for early signs: increased movement, going quiet, covering ears, irritability
Exit at FIRST sign, not third meltdown
Don't force hugging relatives - wave from distance

DURING the meal:

Let them stand while eating if needed
Don't force trying new foods
Provide their safe foods

IF they need to leave:
"Play in the quiet room. I'll bring your food there." This accommodates their needs while keeping celebration peaceful.
Balance is key: Your child needs support AND needs to learn everyone's comfort matters. They can't expect entire events to change for their comfort only - they need to adapt to thrive.
Work together: "I'll help you manage these big feelings, and you'll help keep celebration calm for everyone."

AFTER lunch:

Expect 24-48 hour recovery

Wishing you calm, neurodiversity and sensory affirming festive events!

20/12/2025

Educators at home with your own kids this summer: You're potentially running on fumes.
You've spent term 4 absorbing children's dysregulation, managing challenging behaviours, supporting struggling families. Research shows this creates secondary traumatic stress - your nervous system has changed from sustained exposure to others' distress.

What you might experience now at home:
Shorter fuse with your own children
Emotional exhaustion that sleep doesn't fix
Difficulty feeling joy even during holiday activities
Physical symptoms (headaches, disrupted sleep, digestive issues)
Hypervigilance (scanning for problems even at the beach)
This is physiology, not personal failure.

Specific recovery strategies for the holidays:

Physical activity for stress discharge:
20-30 minute daily walk
Swimming
Dancing to music in your kitchen
Any movement you actually enjoy

Vagal tone restoration (activates rest-and-digest):
Hum while doing dishes or cooking (genuinely helps)
Sing in the car (even badly)
Splash cold water on your face each morning
Practice 4-7-8 breathing: inhale 4 counts, hold 7, exhale 8 (longer exhale activates vagus nerve)

Social connection:
Text one educator friend: "Term 4 was brutal. Coffee next week?"
Join online educator groups where venting is understood
Talk to your partner/friend about how depleted you feel (name it specifically: "I have compassion fatigue")

Boundaries:
Say no to one family obligation this week
Leave your work laptop closed
Don't check work emails until January
Let housework slide - rest matters more

For your own children:
They get screen time without guilt
Simple meals are fine

You're allowed to just be present, not entertaining

Your recovery isn't selfish. It's necessary so you can return to work sustainable in 2026.

19/12/2025

Your child's December behaviour isn't defiance. Their regulatory tank is running on empty.
After 11 months of kindy, children's self-regulation capacity is substantially depleted. Research shows self-regulation functions as a limited resource - every "wait your turn," every transition, every "use your words" draws from a finite pool.

December compounds this: disrupted sleep, increased sensory input (decorations, music, heat, crowds), lost routines, and sustained high-arousal states.

The mechanism: When regulatory capacity depletes, the prefrontal cortex has reduced capacity. The amygdala becomes more influential. This isn't defiance - it's measurable neurological depletion.

What this looks like at home RIGHT NOW:

Meltdowns over minor things (wrong colour cup, toast cut wrong)
Sibling conflict escalating faster
Bedtime battles intensifying
Emotional volatility throughout the day

Specific solutions for the next week:

Morning routine: Cut it to essentials only. Breakfast, dressed, teeth. That's it. No negotiations about hair, shoes matching, clean room.

Activity planning: One activity per day maximum. Beach OR shops OR playdate. Not two. Not three.

Meals: Serve preferred foods this week. Now is not the time for food battles. Veggies can wait until January.

Screen time: Increase low-arousal viewing, guilt-free this week. Their brain needs low-demand recovery time.

Bedtime: Move it 30 minutes earlier. Even if they don't sleep, quiet time in bed helps nervous system recovery.

Social events: Decline one invitation this week. Protect recovery time over social obligations.

These aren't permanent changes. They're strategic support while their system is genuinely depleted.

Take our Child Temperament Quiz - different temperaments deplete at different rates: https://www.supadupakids.com/temperament-quiz-child/