PDA Parents Episode 4 - Lowering Demands in the Home
Mar 11, 2021
Strategies for lowering demands in the home take center stage, offering support for children with pathological demand avoidance. The hosts dive into unique nervous system responses, like 'fawn' and 'flop,' showing how these can affect parenting styles. Personal anecdotes highlight the challenges of adapting routines to prioritize a child's well-being, especially during tough times. They also discuss family dynamics, sharing creative ways to balance individual needs while nurturing a harmonious environment for all.
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Understanding Lowering Demands
- Lowering demands means reducing triggers that cause fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or flop nervous system responses in PDA children.
- Even everyday actions like brushing teeth or leaving the couch can be perceived as dangerous demands by the child.
Reduce Demands When Oversaturated
- Reduce demands as much as possible in PDA children when they are oversaturated or overwhelmed.
- Even if it means temporarily letting go of routines like teeth brushing, reduce demands to help the child recover.
Pandemic Lower Demand Experience
- Casey shares how during the pandemic, lowering demands like screen time and mealtime expectations was necessary for her son.
- Allowing her son to use screens eased his anxiety when other demands became intolerable.