What to Do When Your Child Can’t Cope

Find out why your child might be struggling with everyday life and ways you can support them.

Are you worried that your child is struggling with their emotions and isn’t coping with the ups and downs of daily life? This might be down to what is going on in their brain…

Emotions have a powerful effect on how children behave. Inside our brains, there is a small area called the amygdala which acts like an alarm system.

When we feel threatened, the amygdala activates the nervous system. Adrenalin and noradrenalin are released into the bloodstream, and our bodies go into fight-or-flight mode.

We can:

    • Stay and face the threat

    • Run away to safety

    • Freeze and become unresponsive

When some children feel overwhelmed by strong emotions, they can respond physically by being angry and shouting. Others might push boundaries or engage in risky behaviour. Some children appear to shut down, becoming withdrawn or depressed.

There are some stresses in your child’s life that you can reduce or remove completely. You know the stress, while intense at the time, will soon be over. You can give practical advice to help them manage everything.

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