Your Kid Was Never at Zero — with Jen Dryer, Pt. 2 | EP125
About this episode
The episode discusses the emotional states of neurodivergent children and effective parenting strategies.
Your neurodivergent child is never actually at zero. When they explode, they weren't fine five minutes before — they were already at 45. Parent coach Jen Dryer is back for Part 2, and this one goes deep: co-regulation, the sturdy platform model, performance inconsistency, and the Buddhist mantra a meditation teacher handed Jen that changed how she parents her autistic son on the hard days. If you caught Part 1, buckle up. If you didn't — go back. This conversation is a two-parter for a reason. WHAT'S INSIDE THIS EPISODE Why your child is never actually at zero — and what Jen's '30 is a good day' scale means for how you respond to meltdowns The 'sturdy platform' model from author Mona Delahooke, and why your child's nervous system gets smaller under stress until one tiny feather knocks them off the edge Performance inconsistency explained: why your kid tied their shoe yesterday but absolutely cannot do it today — and what not to say about it Co-regulation in action: why your neurodivergent child reads your nervous system like a human lie detector — and what that means for your own regulation The Buddhist mantra Jen got at a meditation retreat that's become her go-to on the hardest…
People in this episode
Host: Natalie McCabe
Guest: Jen Dryer
Topics covered
- neurodivergent parenting
- co-regulation
- performance inconsistency
- stress management
- mindfulness
Keywords
- neurodivergent
- co-regulation
- meltdowns
- performance inconsistency
- Buddhist mantra
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Raising Orchid Kids
Books & works: Buddhist mantra
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