Why you should Teach your kids about THEIR BRAIN!

When your kids understand what is happening in THEIR BRAIN, they learn to control it!

I found this visual online and I love it because it is very accurate as to the “jobs” of the 3 parts of the brain involved in stress response, but on a KIDS LEVEL!

My kids even made up funny little chants about the various parts of the brain asking the Amygdala to BACK OFF and the PFC (prefrontal cortex) to wake up and do its job. Make it fun so that when they are having an episode of dis-regulation, you can remind them what is happening and encourage them to “TALK TO THEIR BRAIN”! 

When I am patient and keep myself under control, I tell my kids what I think is happening in their brains when it is happening!  This helps them to stop and think, “what IS my brain doing and how is it affecting my behavior?”  When they do this, 2 things happen: (1) they STOP – this is so important for the brain because it literally gets stuck thinking “I have to say my life” that it cannot think anything else!  And (2) it helps them understand themselves and their particular reactions.  When they understand, they can start to make changes. 

So, when Hope is getting that face, popping her knuckles, or holding her breath, I say “Hope, your trauma brain is telling you something is seriously wrong isn’t it?  Let’s talk about what you think is wrong and see if it is REAL.”  We have even made is sort-of silly and said that when Hope says “It seems like…” or “It feels like…” when she is upset – that is her trauma brain talking. 

When Teague is rolling his eyes back and saying “umm, umm…” I say, “dude, I think your amygdala thinks it needs to save your life!  Why don’t you go do something that will help you calm down.”  

I will soon have VIDEOS of MY KIDS PRACTICING this on my resource page that might be helpful.