unpacking tantrums
have a child who cycles from one big feeling to the next? a note on the neurology of tantrums 👇
let’s paint a picture of the basic circuitry of our brains:
our cerebellum plays a vital role in movement coordination, balance, language, and attention.
our cerebellum also acts as a brake mechanism for our frontal lobe, the part of our brain that is responsible for executive function, decision making, time awareness, planning, organizing, and initiating.
our frontal lobe goes on to act as a brake mechanism for our amygdala — our fear and emotional control centers.
in the absence of a brake mechanism, we will see that our amygdalas will exist in a constant state of firing, potentially outwardly expressed as, you guessed it, tantrums.
the cerebellum, frontal lobe, and amygdala can exist in their fullest potency when our nervous system is in a state of safety reception (as opposed to one of mobilization or collapse). when our nervous systems are mobilized, our brake mechanisms may fail to activate, as we are simply lacking the bandwidth to make a change and step off of the brakes.
if our systems are all gas and no brakes, how can we possibly expect that we will have the bandwidth to regulate emotions, express basic needs, use a gentle voice to share, or regulate our emotions?
think about the positions in which our kids (and us) spend so many hours of their days? seated. still. damn near captive in their bodies being asked to pay attention when a critical ingredient for focus is lacking.
so what can we do to support our kids in stepping off the gas and finding their brake?
that’s where holistic chiropractic care comes in to play. we are here to support from a root cause level of creating increased regulation, interoception, and, ultimately, internal safety so we can be in a state of healing, growth, and restoration.
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