Quirky Kid

07/06/2026

Does Sunday evening feel less like a relaxing family night, and more like a ticking countdown to a meltdown? ⏰
If Sunday dinners in your house are met with sudden tummy aches, tears at bath time, or a child who suddenly refuses to go to sleep, you are dealing with the school-age version of the "Sunday Scaries."

Anticipatory anxiety is incredibly real for kids.

As the weekend winds down, their brains start processing the massive shift ahead: moving away from the comfort and safety of home, and back into the high-demand, high-sensory world of the classroom. Because kids can't always articulate this stress, it leaks out sideways as defiance, clinginess, or physical complaints.

If Sunday nights are a weekly battleground, our clinical team suggests changing the Sunday script with these three steps:

1. Move the Prep to Sunday morning 🎒
Packing bags, finding uniforms, and hunting for shoes at 7 PM on Sunday drops a massive anchor of "school stress" right into their evening. Do all the school prep on Saturday morning or Sunday morning. Keep Sunday afternoon and evening entirely school-talk-free.

2. Watch out for the "Co-Regulation" Trap 🧘‍♀️
Kids are like little emotional sponges. If you are rushing around stressing about your own Monday workload, ironing uniforms, and snapping at everyone to get into bed, their anxiety will skyrocket. Protect your own calm on Sunday evening—they need to borrow your nervous system to soothe theirs.

3. Create a Connection Ritual ☕
Anxiety thrives on the fear of separation. Counteract this by creating a special, low-demand Sunday night ritual that promises connection. It could be reading a chapter of a book together in a blanket fort, a family movie, or hot chocolates in bed. Give their brain a high-comfort event to focus on right before sleep.

🗣️ OVER TO YOU: How do the Sunday Scaries show up in your house? Is it a sudden "sore tummy," a burst of hyperactive energy, or a massive bedtime delay?

05/06/2026

The "3:30 PM Meltdown" 🤯
You have just picked up your child from school and the teacher says, "They’ve had a wonderful day!" But the second they get in the car or walk through the front door, they explode into anger or tears.

The Clinical Why: School requires massive cognitive and emotional effort. Kids hold it together all day. When they see their safe person (you), their defenses drop completely. It’s a sign of safety, not manipulation.

QK Practical Tip: The "Quiet Car" Rule: Do not overload them with questions ("How was your day? Who did you play with?") the second they get in the car. Give them 10-15 minutes of quiet or low-volume music. Let them initiate conversation.

Pre-emptive Calories: Bring a snack to the school gate. A drop in blood sugar combined with emotional exhaustion is a recipe for a meltdown. Feed them before they ask.

29/05/2026

What shapes a child’s ability to cope with stress? 💭

In this parent workshop, we’ll explore the underlying factors that influence children’s behaviour, emotional responses, and resilience.

Drawing on current research in child development and stress, this session will help parents better understand:
• why some children are more sensitive to their environment
• how stress and instability can affect development
• what supports healthy emotional regulation
• practical ways to reduce overwhelm at home

Designed to be practical, supportive, and accessible, this workshop offers strategies parents can use in everyday life to better support both their child and the whole family.

We’d love to have you join us. Register now:

Understand what’s driving your child’s behaviour when stress takes hold. Discover the signs, learn how to create more stability at home, and find parent-friendly regulation strategies you can use right away.