Potty Break
This might get a little personalHandling?the Holidays
This segment of Potty Break, Handling the Holidays consists of 13 episodes dedicated to helping family with adopted and foster children with special needs thrive during the holidays. Jennie and Lynn laid out 5 reasons that kids struggle more during the holidays that at any other time of the year.
- Sensory Processing Issues: All the extra sights, sounds and smells overstimulate children with Sensory Issues. Sensory issues are common among children with in utero exposure and other early traumas (Episodes 3, 4 & 5).
- Anxiety: All kids get anxious around the holidays. As anxiety goes up, functioning goes down. Many of the children that were adopted from hard places already had very little capacity for anxiety so the holiday put them over the edge (Episodes 6 & 7).
- Self Regulation Issues: For a variety of genetic, mental health, and trauma related reasons, some children lack the capacity to regulate their own emotional state. Parents of these kids will need to help them stay regulated and set realistic expectations (Episodes 8, 9, 10 & 11).
- Trauma triggers: Often the worst times of our kids lives happened during the holidays. Sensations and situations can trigger a traumatic response which can cause a physiological response, bring up an old memory that they may try to suppress or both. Parents can help their kids discover what is going on to reduce the child?s regression. (Episode 12)
- Grief and Loss: Special moments are a reminder of what our kids lost or wish they had. Processing this loss periodically is a necessary part of acceptance. (Episode 13)
9 Powerful Phrases that Encourage Kids to Grieve
Potty Break - Dealing with the Holidays - Episode 13?- 9 powerful phrases that encourage kids to grieve Show Notes: In this episode Jennie and Lynn help parents with some practical tips to help their children engage in the...
7 Interventions that Actually Help When Children are Triggered by Old Trauma
Potty Break - Dealing with the Holidays - Episode 12 -?7 ?Interventions that Help When Children are Triggered by Old Trauma Show Notes: In this episode Jennie and Lynn help parents understand Trauma Triggers. Triggers can be...
4 simple tips to thrive despite your child?s limitations
Potty Break - Dealing with the Holiday?s - Episode 11 - 4 simple tips to thrive despite your child?s limitations. Every child will become dysregulated when pushed beyond their limits. As parents we will can thrive during...
How to Keep Your Kid from Getting Hangry
In this episode we learn How to Keep Your Kid from Getting Hangry. Keeping children's blood sugar consistent is one of the most often overlooked and most effective interventions for keeping dysregulated children calm and in...
Helping kids with self regulation struggles
Show Notes How do we become better at helping kids with self regulation struggles? Kids are going to struggle more during the holidays! There is often more change during this season than any other. There are school breaks,...
Setting Boundaries with Kids to Reduce Anxiety
Potty Break Episode?8 Boundaries With Kids This is a heartwarming story of an abused child with a HUGE anxiety problem. It illustrates the often overlooked anxiety reduction technique of setting boundaries with kids. They are...
How to help kids reduce anxiety – Two Tips
Potty Break Episode 7 Wondering how to?help kids reduce?anxiety during the holidays? In this episode we continue part 2/3 of dealing with children's anxiety during the holidays. Today's tips: How to help kids breath to relax...
Helping keep anxious children calm
All kids get anxious during the holidays and our adopted and foster kids will regress in their functioning during this time. Parents who notice this regression can use it as an opportunity to help. In part 1 we discussion...
How to Create a place an acting out child will want to go to calm down
Children who are overstimulated by their visual and auditory senses will struggle in a "busy" environment. Here is a quick and easy way to create a space that is special and rewarding enough for them that they will seek it...
Toys and tools to calm kids with sensory issues
Looking for?tools to calm kids with sensory issues? This is the first of three episodes reviewing toys and tools designed to ?help calm children with sensory issues. Children with sensory issues are overstimulated by the...
Less is More, Pintrest ? More
In this episode we encourage parents to back off on expectations to make the holiday's happier for everyone. No Guilt required for doing what is best for your special needs kid.
It’s not you, it’s me
Parents of adopted and foster kids often feel like they must be doing something wrong since they are not able to make their children behave during the holidays. In this episode we hope that parents will understand that "it's...
This Might Get a Little Personal
Episode 1 - Meet Lynn and Jennie as they introduce the concept of the potty break - making effective use of your toileting time to provide support for adoptive parents - since you are unlikely to have any other time at a...