Winter break can turn parents into full-time cruise directors: planning, entertaining, smoothing… and still ending the day fried. In this episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude explains why over-functioning fuels burnout, why boredom is actually brain-building for kids, and how to step back without everything collapsing. You'll leave with simple scripts and Tiny Wins that make break feel calmer and more doable.

• If you feel like you're carrying the whole break (and getting resentful), start with Cruise Director → Guide Mode.
• If "I'm bored" is running your house, start with the Boredom Menu.
• If everyone's dysregulated and everything feels heavy, start with Planned Bare Minimum Days + a Good-Enough Day definition.

• Why Cruise Director Parenting spikes burnout and makes everyone pricklier (even with loving intentions).
• Why boredom isn't a moral failing—it's a brain-based opportunity for executive functioning and internal motivation to grow.
• Why autonomy-supportive structure works best: clear boundaries + simple choices + predictable rhythms.
• How a Good-Enough Day metric can reduce pressure (and improve behavior).
• How to use the Boredom Menu and planned Bare Minimum Days as guardrails (not "giving up").

• Define your Good-Enough Day: everyone ate, everyone moved a little, everyone connected once.
• Make a Boredom Menu with your kids during a calm moment—and redirect to it when boredom shows up.
• Schedule 1–2 Planned Bare Minimum Days and announce them as intentional.
• Pick only one "big thing" per day and protect white space.

• Cruise Director → Guide Mode: "I'm not here to entertain all day. I will help you make a plan."
• Boredom reframe: "Boredom is your brain looking for something to build. Let's check the Boredom Menu."
• Autonomy + boundary: "You can choose A or B. I'm not adding option C."
• Good-Enough Day anchor: "Today's goal is simple: eat, move, connect. That's success."
• Bare Minimum Day wording: "Today is a Bare Minimum Day on purpose. We're protecting our nervous systems."

• "Boredom isn't the enemy—over-functioning is what burns everyone out."
• "You don't have to make winter break magical to make it meaningful."
• "Clear boundaries plus simple choices is the sweet spot."

Join the Tiny Wins email list and download the free Big Feelings Decoder here: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder

Big Feelings Decoder helps you translate intense kid behavior (like constant "I'm bored," whining, snapping, or meltdowns) into what might be happening underneath—plus calm, nervous-system-friendly scripts to try right away.

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized mental health, medical, or educational advice.

• Big Feelings Decoder: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder
• Instagram: @psyched2parent

After-School Meltdowns: Why Big-Feeling Kids Fall Apart at 3:30 (and What Helps)

If your child holds it together all day and then falls apart the second they're home, you're not alone—and your child isn't "being difficult." In this episode, we unpack why after-school meltdowns are often a tired "air traffic control" brain + an overflowing stress bucket… and why it usually spills out with the person they feel safest with.

You'll leave with a few simple scripts and Tiny Wins that make the after-school window kinder for your child's nervous system… and yours.

• Why meltdowns spike when executive function is maxed out
• What "after-school restraint collapse" is (and why it often lands on you)
• Why strong-willed, big-feeling kids can experience the day at volume 10
• How a short after-school "landing strip" reduces power struggles
• How to be warm and boundaried at the same time

• Name the pattern (even silently): "This is after-school collapse."
• Protect the first 20–30 minutes: snack + chill before demands
• Decode the feeling first: "What might this behavior be trying to say?"
• Try High / Low / Silly to connect without a heavy debrief

• Landing strip: "Your brain worked really hard today. First we're doing snack and chill—then we'll talk about homework."
• When they snap at you: "Oof. That came out sharp. I'm going to stay close and keep everyone safe."
• Warm + boundaried: "I won't let you hit. You can be mad, and I'm right here. Let's stomp/push the wall/pillow."
• Transition to homework: "Do you want 10 minutes and then start, or start now and be done sooner?"

Join the Tiny Wins email list + download the free Big Feelings Decoder:

If you're parenting a big-feeling, strong-willed kid and you're thinking, "What is happening right now?" — I made something for you. Get simple, brain-based support for parenting big feelings—plus a quick guide to help you decode what's really going on underneath meltdowns and shutdowns.

https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder

Have you ever "helped" so much that you ended up doing 80% of the work—homework, emails, projects, the whole thing? In this episode, we talk about why over-functioning is so tempting (especially with anxious, big-feeling kids) and how it can quietly chip away at kids' confidence.

You'll learn the simple CAR metaphor for motivation—and walk away with scripts + Tiny Wins to shift from rescuer to coach, without turning into a cold "figure it out" parent.

• Why over-functioning lowers short-term stress but can block long-term confidence and skill-building
• The CAR motivation metaphor: Control/Choice, Ability, Relationship
• Why autonomy-supportive parenting (warm + structured + choice) supports motivation better than psychological control
• How family accommodation can reduce anxiety in the moment but increase it over time
• How to change the pattern while staying emotionally supportive: "I love you, and I believe you can do small brave steps."

• The 30-Second Empathy Pause (before anything instructional)
• Choice inside a boundary (2–3 real choices within the non-negotiable)
• Pick one low-stakes thing you will not rescue this week
• Try a systems-focused repair line: "If it goes sideways, we need a better system. We'll figure it out together."

• Empathy pause: "This feels hard. I'm with you."
• Choice inside a boundary: "This is getting done. Do you want to start with the easy part or the hard part?"
• Ability scaffold: "Let's do the first one together, then you try the next."
• Warm + boundaried: "I won't do it for you, and I won't leave you alone with it. I'll stay close while you practice."
• Coach mindset: "You are more capable than you feel right now—and I'm right here while you try."
• Systems repair: "If it goes sideways, we need a better system. We'll figure it out together."

• "Think of your child's motivation like a CAR they are trying to drive through school and life."
• "You are more capable than you feel right now, and I am right here while you practice."
• "Where am I climbing into the driver's seat of my child's CAR—and what's one small place I can slide back into the passenger seat this week while staying close?"

Join the Tiny Wins email list + download the free Big Feelings Decoder:

If you're parenting a big-feeling, strong-willed kid and you're thinking, "What is happening right now?" — I made something for you. Get simple, brain-based support for parenting big feelings—plus a quick guide to help you decode what's really going on underneath meltdowns and shutdowns. Big Feelings Decoder

When your child can't focus, melts down, avoids homework, or spirals at bedtime, it's easy to wonder: Is this ADHD? Anxiety? Or are we just in a fried, overloaded season? In this episode, we zoom out from the moment and look for patterns over time—while also using a nervous-system lens (fight/flight/freeze) to guide what to do today.

You'll leave with clear scripts and Tiny Wins to gather better "data" without spiraling into labels.

• Why ADHD and anxiety can look similar—and why labels describe patterns over time (not one hard afternoon)
• How to use a nervous-system lens in the moment: fight/flight/freeze as communication
• How "the season" (sleep, screens, overload, too little downtime) can be the loudest factor
• How small environment shifts can clarify what's underneath (and create better info for your support team)
• How to aim for calmer, more curious nervous systems on both sides—not perfect scripts

• Use the Big Feelings Decoder once a day (one moment only) to spot patterns
• Protect a 20-minute after-school reset (snack + regulating activity, then gentle transition)
• Try a 10% "load lift" for two weeks (sleep, schedule, screens, homework cap + teacher email if needed)
• Bedtime worry script: write down "what if" thoughts and save them for "tomorrow-brain"

• Detective mode (not labels): "We don't have to figure this out today. We're collecting clues."
• Nervous system translation: "Your body is having a fight/flight/freeze moment. I'm here. Let's help your body feel safe first."
• When focus falls apart: "Looks like your brain is overloaded. Let's do a reset, then choose one tiny next step."
• 10% load lift: "For two weeks, we're making this a little easier while we learn what helps."
• After-school reset: "First snack and reset—then we'll talk about what's next."
• Bedtime worries: "Let's put those 'what if' thoughts on paper for tomorrow-brain. Nighttime brain is not the boss."

• "ADHD and anxiety are labels that describe patterns over time. In the moment, your child's behavior is their nervous system talking."
• "You are becoming a curious detective, not a frantic diagnostician."
• "This is data, not a disaster. I'm learning how my child's brain works in this season."

Join the Tiny Wins email list + download the free Big Feelings Decoder:

If you're parenting a big-feeling, strong-willed kid and you're thinking, "What is happening right now?" — I made something for you. Get simple, brain-based support for parenting big feelings—plus a quick guide to help you decode what's really going on underneath meltdowns and shutdowns. Big Feelings Decoder

Feeling like parenting is an endurance sport and no one handed you a map? In this trailer, Dr. Amy, a school psychologist, mom of two, endurance athlete, and creator of Psyched2Parent, shares what this podcast is all about and why she is right there with you in the messy middle of parenting.

Psyched2Parent is where brain science meets real family life. Dr. Amy takes what she sees every day in schools and in her practice, blends it with the latest research on kids' brains and nervous systems, and turns it into tiny, doable shifts you can actually use at home. Think less "perfect parenting plan" and more "one small thing I can try today."

In this trailer you'll hear:

• Who this show is for: caring, thoughtful parents who feel overwhelmed, second-guess themselves, and want things to feel lighter at home
• Why Dr. Amy cares so much about turning data and research into real-life strategies that make sense in your body, not just your brain
• The kinds of topics she will unpack this season, like after-school meltdowns, "I'm the worst" self-talk, school stress, anxiety, ADHD, and resilience
• How each episode will leave you with one or two tiny wins, such as a sentence to try the next time your child explodes, a tweak to your routine, or a question you can bring to your child's teacher or therapist

If you are ready to trade "I'm failing at this" for "We're building tiny wins that fit our family," this podcast is for you. Hit follow or subscribe and come along for the first season of Psyched2Parent: Turning brain science into tiny wins at home, one ordinary, messy, beautiful day at a time.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for therapy, diagnosis, or individualized evaluation.