Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Parenting is often lived in the extremes. It's either Great Joy or chaotic overwhelmed. In one moment you’re nailing it and the next you're losing your cool I want to help you find your way to the messy middle, to a place of balance. You see, balance is a verb not a state of being. it is a thing you do not a thing you are. it is an action a process a series of micro-corrections each and every day to keep ourselves feeling centered. We are never truly balanced. We are engaged in the process of balancing.

Hello, I’m Dr. Laura Froyen and this is the Balanced Parent podcast, where overwhelmed stressed out and disconnected parents go to find tools, mindset shifts and practices to help them stop yelling at the people they love and start connecting on a deeper level, all delivered with heaping doses of grace and compassion. Join me in conversations that will help you get clear on your goals and values and start showing up in your parenting, your relationships, YOUR LIFE, with open-hearted authenticity and balance. Let’s go!

The transition back to school can bring big emotions for kids and parents alike. After a full day of navigating routines, expectations, learning, and social interactions, children may come home overwhelmed and ready to let it all out.

In this replay, I explain why after-school meltdowns happen and what you can do to support your child through them. You’ll learn how to reframe these moments, help your child recharge their regulation stores, and provide the connection and safety they need after a demanding day.

Here are the key takeaways:

Why school can be so taxing on children’s brains and bodies
Why kids often save their biggest emotions for home
How to respond to meltdowns without taking them personally
Simple ways to help your child regulate after school
How to hold space for big feelings with compassion and connection
Why co-regulation is so important during stressful transitions

Remember, after-school meltdowns aren’t about “bad behavior”—they’re often a sign that kids have been holding it together all day and need a safe place to release their big feelings. And that safe place is YOU!

Tune in to learn why after-school meltdowns happen, how to respond without taking them personally, and how to help your child regulate through connection, compassion, and co-regulation.

Laura Froyen, PhD

Laura Froyen, PhD

Balanced Parent Podcast

Laura Froyen, PhD

Welcome to the home of The Balanced Parent Podcast!

Replay: After School Meltdowns

Here are the key takeaways: