Your child isn’t overreacting and neither are you.
The screaming over the wrong cup, the running out of the room, the hiding under blankets, the “I hate you!” outbursts, the “I’m sorry I’m sorry I’m sorry” spirals…
Those aren’t just behaviors.
They’re nervous system responses.
They’re trying to protect a body that still doesn’t know the difference between danger and disappointment.
And when your chest tightens, your jaw locks, your patience disappears, or your thoughts start whispering “I’m failing at this”…
That’s your nervous system too.
In this article, I’m breaking down the five trauma responses—Flight, Fight, Freeze, Fawn, and Flop—in a way that makes sense for real-life parenting. You’ll learn how each one shows up in children and adults, how they connect to the Ayurvedic doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha), and what your child is really asking for in those moments when nothing seems to work.
Whether you’re parenting a sensitive or neurodivergent child, healing your own inner child, or just…
