Fit. Tantrum. Melt-down. Dysregulated.
Picky eater.
Carb-a-holic.
Do any of these words describe your kiddo? 4pm hits and kids are hitting to proverbial roof. Or maybe the not-so-proverbial roof in the case of a reallllllly dysregulated kid.
Maintaining regulation in a child with a trauma history is a complex process. An art, really. And….lots of luck. This tip won’t fix all your dysregulation woes, but it may just help.
PROTEIN
So many kiddos I work with are chomping on carbs…carbs…and more carbs. And fighting with a dysregulated kid about food will likely just lead to more dysregulation.
Two quick little tricks to hide protein in yummy, sweet treats.
Protein Black Bean Brownies. No, really. Black beans. In brownies. There are lots of recipes on the internet for black bean brownies, but I love this healthy-ingredient option from trauma momma Shelly over a Yearn for Surrender.
No Bake High Energy Bites. These. Are. So. Amazing. You can experiment with the recipe. There is so much sweetness in this recipe that you can easily sub cacao nibs for chocolate chips. Use 100% nut butter with no sugar added.
Trauma kids power through glucose in their brain realllllly fast because it takes a LOT of energy to be in chronic fight/flight/freeze. They burn up glucose (sugar) and then their blood sugar plummets, which spikes cortisol, which triggers more fight/flight/freeze. Etcetera. Trauma kids are more susceptible to HANGER but frankly, there are lots of kids (and adults) who could use a little extra protein to keep their blood sugar stable- which may ward off a case of the crankies and grumpies.
You’re Welcome :)
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Robyn Gobbel, LCSW is a child and family therapist in Austin, Texas specializing in adoption, trauma, and attachment counseling. She is the founder of the Central Texas Attachment & Trauma Center.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
