After-School Meltdowns

Sep 18

What Can We Do About It?

Now that school is back in session, people are busy adjusting to new routines and trying to stay on top of things. But what happens if your child comes home from school in meltdown mode? Well, let’s talk about why that happens and what to do about it.

Ensure Basic Needs are Met

Your kiddos are establishing new routines at school. This counts for mealtimes and nap times. If your child comes home hungry or tired but isn’t sure how to communicate it, this could result in a meltdown. Perhaps an afternoon snack and a calm fifteen minutes as soon as your child gets home from school will help them regulate their body and mind.

Cut Back on Immediate Stimulation

Much like meal times and nap times, your child is readjusting to the amount of stimulation that happens at school. There are lots of games being played, screens watched, and activities completed. That combination at school can result in your kiddo feeling overwhelmed by it all when they get home, unsure how to process it. You may decide to start asking fewer unstructured questions like “How was your day at school?” and implement more structure to conversations. Consider doing a rose-bud-thorn activity over dinner, where your kid can share a good thing that happened at school, a bad thing, and something they’re looking forward to. This will help them answer your questions and process their day without feeling overwhelmed with no idea why.

Reach Out to Their Teacher

Your child is doing a lot of fun and exciting things at school that you may not have a clue about. If you want to establish a good relationship with your child’s teacher and better understand what’s going on in the classroom, you could simply reach out. If you approach them with gentle curiosity about what their days look like, it will show that you are a committed parent who wants to be involved in their child’s education. At the same time, you can know what to ask your kiddo about after a busy day at school.

Give Them Grace

Getting used to a new routine can be challenging, especially for our younger kiddos. Sometimes, all a child needs is time and space to get used to their new schedules. Having after-school meltdowns does not mean there’s anything wrong with your child or their school schedule. They will get used to it, and you will get through it!

What are some of your back-to-school meltdown tips? Share them in the comments of our Facebook and Instagram posts to let us know your best advice!

Chantel McCarthy

Chantel is a second-year MSW intern attending Binghamton University. With a Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Chantel has a deep love for helping people. During her undergrad, she spent eight weeks shadowing an LMSW in an inpatient rehab unit for people struggling with Substance Use Disorders and was then hired on the unit as a Chemical Dependency Aide. During her first-year MSW internship, she worked at Owego Apalachin Middle School as a mental health intern. Throughout the year, she led lunch-bunch groups focused on social skills and friendship-building and met with students individually to support them academically and socially. Chantel is looking forward to building strong therapeutic relationships with her future clients at CFCS. She plans to take a strength-based approach in which clients of all ages and backgrounds drive their own lives.