stress response
Anxiety in children doesn’t always look the way we expect. It’s not always obvious worry or fear. More often, it shows up through the body and behavior—because anxiety is, at its core, a nervous system experience.
When we talk about children’s health, we often focus on nutrition, sleep, and growth charts. But beneath all of those systems lies something even more foundational: the nervous system.
Have you ever watched your child go from calm to completely overwhelmed in seconds? One moment they’re fine — the next, they’re yelling, running away, or shutting down entirely.
When a child is overwhelmed, dysregulated, or melting down, our instinct is often to correct the behavior quickly. We explain, reason, or try to fix it. But in moments of stress, your child’s thinking brain isn’t fully online.