10/07/2026
Having big after-school Meltdowns? 😤
Your child may be experiencing something called after school restraint collapse, which is an intense emotional breakdown after a demanding school day.
Try these tips from OT Teanna to help your child regulate after a busy day at school (or after a busy day anywhere)!
1: Come prepared in the car with a *CRUNCHY* snack. The crunch provides deep pressure proprioceptive input through the jaw which can help with regulation, and your kiddo may not recognize their body signals for hunger and benefit from food in these transitional moments.
2: Bring fidgets and/or weighted stuffies/blankets in the car to provide additional proprioceptive input such as deep pressure and the opportunity to release tension through fidgeting.
3: Avoid asking a lot of questions about their day right away - instead try playing music in the car, or ask if they have something to share without placing demands to answer a specific question (save asking questions for later after they’re regulated like at the dinner table)!
4: Avoid placing demands immediately after you get home - instead let them spend time doing a preferred activity, resting in a calm space, playing outside etc.
5: Encourage heavy work activities for kiddos who regulate through organized movement such as pushing/pulling weighted objects, scootering, lifting, doing animal crawls, etc.
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