370- Post-Holiday Meltdowns and School Refusal with The OT Butterfly, Laura Petix

You're listening to Voices of Your Village, and today’s episode is one so many of you have asked for: how to navigate the rocky transition back to school after the holidays. And not just for our kids, but for ourselves, too.
I’m joined by my friend Laura Petix, also known as The OT Butterfly. She’s a pediatric occupational therapist, a neurodivergent mom raising a neurodivergent kid, and the author of A Kid’s Book About Neurodiversity. This convo is a mix of validation, strategy, and "yep, me too" moments you’re going to want to come back to.
We talk about how to actually support regulation in those first weeks back, whether your kid is a sensory seeker or sensory sensitive, and how to lower demands, build in support, and reset your own expectations. We also get into the emotional side of school refusal, those brutal morning meltdowns, and why some kids just need a longer runway to get going again. Plus, Laura shares her brilliant nervous system budget analogy, which I think you're going to love.
This one’s for anyone starting the year already feeling tapped out, and trying to figure out how to make re-entry just a little softer.
Alright folks, let’s dive in.

Connect with Laura:

Instagram: @theotbutterfly (instagram.com/TheOTButterfly)

Website: theotbutterfly.com

Order the book: A Kids Book About Neurodiversity (a.co/d/e3vLQiL)

Podcast: The Sensory W.I.S.E Solutions Podcast (theotbutterfly.com/the-sensory-w-i-s-e-solutio…)

Connect with us:

Instagram and TikTok: @seed.and.sew (instagram.com/seed.and.sew)

Seed and Sew's NEW Regulation Questionnaire: Take the Quiz (quiz.tryinteract.com/#/63bc2ee1daebab0016f17b3e)

Order Big Kids, Bigger Feelings (harpercollins.com/products/big-kids-bigger-fee…) now!

Website: seedandsew.org

Credits:

Host: Alyssa Blask Campbell

Co-host: Rachel Lounder

Production/Editing: Kristin Mork-McVeigh

Graphics: Kayla Kurland-Davis/ Beki Rohrig

Music by: Ruby Adams (instagram.com/rubygoldentiger) and Bensound (bensound.com)

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