This is what emotional regulation can look like from the inside for some children.
Big feelings don’t always come with big words.
Sometimes they arrive all at once.
Sometimes the body reacts before the child understands why.
What we often see as “overreacting”, “arguing”, or “shutting down” is usually a nervous system doing its best to stay safe.
When we understand what’s really happening underneath, our responses change — and so does the child’s sense of safety.