238 – When Your Adopted Child Explodes: What Took Me 18 Years to Understand

About this episode

Tim Maudlin discusses understanding the deeper emotional pain behind a child's explosive behavior in the context of adoption.

Have you ever stayed calm in the middle of a blow-up with your child… only to realize later you still might’ve missed what was really going on underneath? 💭 If that moment feels familiar, this episode is for you. Hi Neighbor, In today’s episode, we’re continuing the PAUSE Plan with the next step: Understand. I’m taking you back to a moment with my son Jonny, an argument the night before his 18th birthday 🎂 He was angry, pushing hard, and everything in me could’ve reacted the way I used to. But this time, something shifted. Because for the first time, I started to see it differently… This wasn’t just behavior.He was in pain. In this episode, we dig into why understanding what’s underneath your child’s behavior changes everything—and how it keeps you from responding to the wrong thing. You’ll learn how to: 🧠 Recognize when behavior is actually a sign of deeper pain🛑 Stop taking your child’s reactions personally🔍 Ask better questions in the heat of the moment🤝 Move toward your child instead of pulling away🔁 Shift from reacting to responding with intention Because here’s the truth… What feels like rejection is often hurt. 💔What looks like defiance can be emotional bleeding…

People in this episode

Host: Tim Maudlin

Topics covered

• adoption
• child behavior
• emotional understanding
• parenting strategies
• communication
• PAUSE Plan

Keywords

• adopted child
• behavior
• emotional pain
• parenting
• understanding
• communication
• PAUSE Plan

More episodes of ADOPTION STRUGGLES AND SUPPORT | Adoption Trauma, Safety, Peace of Mind, Biblical Encouragement, Respite, Journaling

• 241 – Adoptive Parents: You Don't Have to Attend Every Argument You're Invited To · May 30, 2026 · 12 min
• 240 – The 30-Second Reset: How to De-Escalate Before You Damage the Relationship with Your Adopted Child · May 23, 2026 · 8 min
• 239 – Sometimes the Healthiest Thing You Can Do as an Adoptive Parent is Pause · May 2, 2026 · 4 min
• 237 – The Prodigal Principle: What to Do When Your Adopted Child Walks Away · April 11, 2026 · 9 min
• 236 – The 10-Second Biblical Plan to Stop You From Snapping at Your Child · April 4, 2026 · 14 min
• 235 – 7 Ways to Reset When You’re About to Lose It as an Adoptive Parent · March 26, 2026 · 20 min