10/30/2025
Tears at the kitchen table. A backpack dropped too hard. That faraway stare when you ask, “How was your day?”
Lately, I’ve been hearing this more and more from parents:
“They’re melting down after school, and I don’t know how to help.”
It’s that moment when everything feels too big for their small nervous system.
The noise, the expectations, the effort of holding it together all day; it all unravels the moment they walk through the door.
And as parents, we feel it too.
The urge to fix.
To reassure.
To say, “It’s okay” or “You’re fine.”
Because their pain stirs something in us and sitting with it is hard.
But often, the most powerful thing we can do is this:
Pause. Validate. Let them feel seen.
A quiet “That sounds really hard” can open the door to calm and connection.
You're not just helping them get through a difficult moment.
You're teaching them they can survive difficult feelings.
That’s emotional resilience.
That’s how safety is built, from the inside out.
If this feels familiar, please know you're not alone.
At ReThinkMe, we support parents through the messy, meaningful work of raising emotionally healthy kids.
We’re here when you need us.
