Why understanding your nervous system helps you with your emotions

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You’ve heard the advice: “Teach your child to name their emotions.”

But what if the real secret to helping your child (and yourself) regulate emotions starts deeper inside the body?

In this episode, I sit down with pediatric occupational therapist Laura Petix (The OT Butterfly) to uncover what’s really going on when kids have meltdowns, get overstimulated, or shut down. Spoiler alert: it’s not about being “bad” or “defiant.”

Laura explains how your child’s behavior is actually a message from their nervous system and why understanding this changes everything about the way you respond.

You’ll learn:

• Why meltdowns, shutdowns, and big reactions are signs of nervous-system overload
• How sensory sensitivities (sound, touch, movement) shape your child’s emotions and behavior
• The difference between a tantrum and a meltdown and why that matters
• Why co-regulation starts with your calm nervous system
• The mindset shift that helps you see behavior through compassion instead of control

If you’ve ever wondered “Why does my child react this way — and why do I lose my cool, too?” this episode will open your eyes to what’s really happening beneath the surface.

Listen now and get ready to see your child’s behavior through a completely new lens.

Get Laura's Book: A Kids Book About Neurodiversity

Follow Laura on Instagram @theotbutterfly

Support the show

1. Join the Reflective Parent Book Club for only $9.99 for the year: https://reflectiveparentclub.circle.so/checkout/reflective-parenting-book-club
2. Watch my Tedx Talk on YouTube called The Over-Educated, Emotionally Underprepared Parent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDYJFY_9K9E&t=19s
3. Get your FREE emotional awareness training (comes with a poster, workbook and video):

https://tremendous-hustler-7333.kit.com/84371dc0b2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4iEbFRZ5QQ&t=12s

• Grab our course for $99, The Emotionally Aware Parent: https://curiousneuron.com/reflective-parent-club/
• Or email me to join the next 6-week training, to schedule a discovery call for a 1:1 consult for your and your family or to book some leadership training for your workplace [email protected]