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If you’ve ever found yourself in a power struggle with your child and wondered, How did we get here again?—this episode is for you.

Escalation rarely starts with the “big” behavior. It often begins with something small: a transition, a request, a tone, a moment of disappointment. And suddenly, both you and your child are overwhelmed.

In this episode, pediatric psychologist Dr. Mark Bowers explains a core nervous-system truth that changes how we understand these moments:
the brain cannot learn when it doesn’t feel safe.

We’ll talk about what’s actually happening in your child’s brain during escalation, the difference between survival mode and the thinking brain, and why reasoning, consequences, and lectures often make things worse in the heat of the moment. You’ll also hear why validation is not “giving in,” and how safety and structure can exist at the same time.

This conversation is about reducing power struggles, protecting emotional safety, and helping kids access the skills you know they have—once their nervous system is calm enough to use them.

If parenting feels like a series of escalating moments you can’t seem to stop, this episode offers a different starting point.

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Beneath the Behavior is an educational podcast for parents and caregivers of neurodivergent kids.

The information shared is not therapy or a substitute for working with your own provider. Episodes are intended to offer understanding, context, and language—not individual advice.

If you’re looking for ongoing support grounded in the same science-not-shame approach, check out the Neurodivergent Parenting Collective.