Your child melts down over something small. They scream. They hide. They shut down completely. You wonder what's happening inside their head. Here's the truth: their brain is doing its job. Your child's nervous system has a built-in alarm. It's called the fight, flight, or freeze response. This alarm protects them from danger. But sometimes it goes off at the wrong time. What's Actually Happening in Their Brain Think of your child's brain like a house. The amygdala is the smoke detector. It scans for threats all day long. When it senses danger, it hits the panic button. Your child's thinking brain switches off. Their survival brain takes over completely. Heart rate shoots up. Breathing gets shallow. Blood rushes to their muscles. Their body prepares to survive. Here's the problem: the alarm can't tell the difference. A maths test feels the same as real danger. Being left out at playtime triggers the same response. Your child isn't choosing to react this way. Their body is responding au