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Practical ideas for everyday parenting
This article explores the connection between a child's disruptive behavior in school and underlying stress responses. When teachers label children as "hyper" or problematic, these behaviors often stem from the body's reaction to stress triggers that activate fight, flight, or freeze responses based on past experiences. The author emphasizes that concerning behaviors—whether hyperactivity, aggression, or withdrawal—are protective mechanisms related to body memory and potential trauma experienced by either the child or parent. Understanding these neurobiological responses can help parents and educators address the root causes rather than just the symptoms of challenging classroom behaviours.
Does this sound familiar?
I shall go into some background history and explore if there has been any trauma or dysregulation of some sorts in the child's life as well as the possibility of any trauma the parent has experienced.
When a child or an adult behaves in a certain way, it most definately is related to the body's reaction to stress to a certain trigger happening in it's surroundings. The body, besides the brain, also has a memory (Body Memory). The trigger can be visual, sensory, auditory, olfactory (smell), tactile (touch)... springing on the body's memory of an event that happened in the person's life and therefore reacting in a flight or fight or freeze response, which is the person's defence/ protective mechanism.
This is seen as the child either being very hyper (flight response), or aggressive (fight response), or very quiet; shy and depressed state (freeze response).
View this video, to have a better undertstanding of why our child may be reacting or behaving in a certain way.
