When My Child Is Overwhelmed
Understanding what might be happening beneath the behaviour
When a child is overwhelmed, it doesn't always look like anxiety.
It might look like anger, tears, shutting down, restlessness, refusing to do something, struggling to concentrate, becoming unusually sensitive to noise or touch — or having a much bigger reaction than the situation seems to warrant.
Sometimes what looks like difficult behaviour may be a child whose system is struggling to manage what is being asked of it.
They may know what to do — but not be able to do it
A child might be able to tell you all the things they're supposed to do when they're calm, but struggle to access any of them when they're overwhelmed.
Stress doesn't only affect how we feel. It can also affect how we think, communicate, process information and respond to what's happening around us.
That's why, in the middle of overwhelm, more talking, reasoning or repeatedly asking a child to “calm down” may not be what they need first.
Try changing the question
Instead of immediately asking:
“How do I stop this behaviour?”
try becoming curious about:
“What might their body be communicating right now?”
Are they overloaded? Tired? Anxious? Frustrated? Struggling with a transition? Taking in too much information or sensory input?
We don't always need to have the answer. Beginning to notice when and where overwhelm happens can help us understand what might be going on underneath the behaviour.
When might additional support help?
If overwhelm is happening frequently, affecting everyday life, or your child seems to understand what they should do but struggles to access those tools when they need them, individual support may be helpful.
For some children and teenagers, working through the body as well as through talking can offer another way to understand and respond to stress and overwhelm.
Yoga Therapy for Children & Teenagers
I offer individual Yoga Therapy for children and teenagers experiencing anxiety, overwhelm, emotional regulation difficulties, sensory overwhelm and neurodivergence.
This isn't a children's yoga class. Sessions are shaped around the individual young person and may incorporate movement, breath, sensory and body awareness, mindfulness and practical nervous-system regulation tools.
The aim is to help a young person begin to understand their own signals and discover approaches that feel useful and manageable for them.
Tara Flynn is a Level 6 qualified Yoga Therapist with additional specialist training in Child & Adolescent Yoga Therapy and Level 3 Safeguarding Children.