Staying Calm in the Storm Audio Guide 🎥 🔈

Script for when everything’s falling apart

When Your Child Is Melting Down and You’re About To

Take a breath with me. Right now.

In for 3… hold for 3… out for 6.

Your child is not trying to ruin your day. They’re drowning, and they need you to be the lifeguard, not another person in the water.

Your Emergency Mantra

Repeat this when everything goes sideways: “They’re not giving me a hard time. They’re having a hard time.”

Say it until you believe it. Even when they’re screaming at Tesco and everyone’s staring.

The 30-Second Reset

When you feel your own storm building:

1. Drop your shoulders – They’re probably up by your ears
2. Soften your jaw – Unclenench everything
3. Feel your feet – Ground yourself
4. Breathe longer out than in – This actually works
5. Lower your voice – Even if you want to shout

Remember: You Are Their Anchor

In their storm, you are the only steady thing. Not perfect. Not calm all the time. Just steadier than they are in this moment.

Your regulation helps them regulate. Your storm feeds their storm.

After the Storm

When it’s over:

• You both might be exhausted
• No lectures needed
• Maybe water, quiet, comfort
• Repair if you lost it too
• Tomorrow is a new day

You’re not failing. You’re learning. So are they.

Your Meltdown Detective Kit

From Hulya Mehmet – Because patterns tell stories

A Quick Story First

A dad came to me defeated. “She melts down every day at 4pm. I’ve tried everything.”

We tracked for a week. Pattern emerged: School pickup at 3:30. Straight to Tesco. Meltdown by aisle 3.

Not defiance. Not manipulation. A child saying: “I held it together all day at school. I’m done. No more demands.”

They now go straight home. Snack. Quiet time. THEN errands. Meltdowns dropped by 80%.

That’s what tracking does. Reveals the story underneath.

The ABC Method (Simple Version)

A – Antecedent (Fancy word for “what happened before”) 

B – Behaviour (What your child did) 

C – Consequence (What happened next)

Not about judgment. About curiosity. You’re a detective, not a judge.

How to Actually Use This (Without Going Mental)

1. Just the facts – “Screamed in Tesco” not “Had a terrible tantrum because they’re difficult”
2. Track for a week – Patterns hide in plain sight
3. Notice YOUR part too – We’re all in this dance together
4. No guilt allowed – This is research, not a report card

Pro tip: Keep it on your phone. Paper gets lost. I know you.