Feelings + Overwhelm / kids · teens / Plan
After-School Decompression
The meltdown at 4pm isn't about the snack. It's the whole day finally landing.
What this is for
The first hour home from school is a minefield — snapping, crying, or shutting down over almost nothing.
When to use it
Build this before school ends, so it's ready the moment the door opens.
What you leave with
A short, low-demand decompression routine for the first 30–60 minutes home.
1 / 2
What usually happens in that first hour?
Pick one to keep going.
Why this can help
Many kids and teens spend the school day masking or holding it together, using up regulation capacity that has to be spent somewhere — home is often where that bill comes due.
restraint collapse / after-school masking research
