If there’s one thing travel is really good at… it’s breaking every routine your child has ever known. Sleep? Off. Meals? Chaotic. Sensory load? High. Parent patience? …well, lower than ideal.
And for strong-willed kids—kids who rely heavily on predictability, rhythm, and control—travel can feel like emotional turbulence without a seatbelt sign.
But here’s the hopeful part (and the part we often forget when someone is melting down in the airport bathroom):
Regulation isn’t built in calm environments.
It’s built in the wobble.
🌱 The Grit-Gold Hidden Inside the Chaos
November’s theme is Grit & Gratitude, and for many families this time of year, I remind them that grit with children isn’t about “toughing it out” , it’s more like:
- Trying again after three failed transitions.
- Staying curious when your child’s behavior is confusing.
- Resetting your expectations for the fifth time before lunch.
Grit isn’t powering through.
Grit is flexibility in motion.
And when routines break, our kids actually get real-world practice navigating frustration, uncertainty, and sensory overload—with us beside them.
đź’› Gratitude (When Everything Is Messy)
Similarly, I remind families that authentic gratitude isn’t the stuff of perfect Facebook profiles. Gratitude isn’t glossing over the hard moments or spiritual-bypassing your way through a flight delay.
It can sound like:
- “I’m grateful we found a quiet spot to regroup.”
- “I’m grateful we’re learning how to repair faster.”
- “I’m grateful for the tiny wins, even if they’re tiny-tiny.”
Kids learn gratitude less from “say something you’re thankful for!” and more from how we narrate moments of relief, connection, or teamwork—even on hard days.
🧠Regulation Strategies for When Routines Break
When your child is off-track, try these simple, quick-access tools:
1. Pick one anchor routine and keep it sacred
Maybe it’s a bedtime story.
Maybe it’s brushing teeth together.
Maybe it’s a 3-minute connection ritual (“What color is your mood?”).
One predictable touchpoint gives their nervous system something stable to lean on.
2. Lower the bar, tighten the structure
Strong-willed kids need more clarity when overwhelmed, not less.
Short, simple instructions. Visual cues. One step at a time.
3. Move their body to move their brain
Travel puts kids in “sit still, hurry up, be quiet” mode. Their nervous systems revolt.
Fast walk, jumping jacks, wall push-offs, carry something heavy—anything that resets their sensory load.
4. Co-regulate first, teach second
“First calm, then coach.”
No lesson lands in a dysregulated brain.
A simple:
“I see you. This is a lot right now. I’m right here.”
…opens the door to repair.
5. Don’t fear the meltdown
It isn’t failure—it’s data.
Your child’s nervous system is saying, “I’m done. Please help me reset.”
You’re still the steady one, even if you’re wobbling.
🌤️ The Sunday Reset
As you head into a new week (or into the holiday travel zone), give yourself credit:
If you’re showing up—imperfectly, tired, trying again—
you’re building both grit and gratitude in your family.
Not in perfect, Instagrammable ways…
but in real, meaningful, nervous-system-shaping moments.
✨ Want an easy way to help your child build both grit and gratitude?
Sign up for the free Parent-Child Activity That Will Help Them (and you!) Build Resilinec and Emotion-Regulation!
It’s a simple, playful tool you can use all November long—even during travel weeks—to build emotional resilience together.
TL;DR
Travel blows up routines—and strong-willed kids feel it hard.
But those messy moments are exactly where emotional resilience is built.
When you hold one simple routine steady, add movement, use visual cues, co-regulate before teaching, and shift your expectations, you help your child practice grit in real time.
Gratitude isn’t pretending things are fine—it’s noticing small moments of relief, teamwork, or connection in the chaos.
Want support? Join the free Parent-Child Grit & Gratitude Activity to help your child build frustration tolerance + emotional flexibility this month.
___________________
Begin Within
and align with the rhythm of nature and self.
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