Why does my kid…? The brain behind everyday struggles

The hard moments every parent knows, decoded by the crew, with one thing to try tonight.

• Why does my child get angry when screen time ends?Tears and yelling when the tablet goes off are common, not a sign of bad parenting. What’s happening in your kid’s brain and what to try tonight.
• Why does “5 more minutes” turn into an hour with kids and screens?“Five more minutes” rarely stays five. See how autoplay, fuzzy rules and a kid’s sense of time stretch it, and the endings that actually hold.
• Why does my child explode over small things?A broken cracker, the wrong cup, a sock seam: why kids erupt over tiny things, what Migo and Fronti are doing, and what helps in the moment.
• Why does my child melt down after school?Great at school, a storm at home by 3:45. Meet the “brain battery,” hunger and after-school restraint collapse, plus a 20-minute buffer to try tonight.
• Why does my child get a second wind at bedtime?Yawning at 7, bouncing at 9:30. What a bedtime second wind may be, what Mela, light and the body clock have to do with it, and how to catch the window.
• Why can’t my child fall asleep at night?Lights out, brain on. Why kids lie awake, how Corti, Gabi and the body clock work, and calm habits to try tonight. Plus when to call the pediatrician.
• Why are school mornings such a battle with my kid?Shoes in the fridge, everyone yelling by 7:12. Why mornings go sideways for kids and parents, and how night-before habits and daylight change them.
• Why does my kid get so angry when hungry?Why hungry kids snap, what Greli and blood sugar really do, and how timing meals and naming the feeling can head off the 5:30 p.m. meltdown.
• Why is my child worse with me than with anyone else?Perfect for the teacher, a handful for you. Why kids save their hardest moments for the people they trust most, and what to do tonight.
• Why can’t my child focus on homework?Homework focus is a spotlight problem: pings, too much sitting, tasks that look huge. How Nora’s spotlight works and what to try tonight.
• Why does my child interrupt and can’t wait their turn?Blurting and can’t-wait moments are brakes still being built. What Fronti does, what the marshmallow test really showed, and how to practice waiting.
• Why do my kids fight all the time?Most sibling fights are a contest for your attention, with Corti’s alarm doing the rest. Ten-minute one-on-one time and calm rules that help.
• Why is my kid always jumping and crashing into things?Kids who jump, spin and crash are often seeking body input. Meet Vesti and Propi, try safe heavy work tonight, and learn when to ask a professional.
• Why won’t my child try new foods?Many kids need many tiny, pressure-free tries before they accept a new food. How Greli’s hunger bell fits in and what to do at dinner tonight.
• Why does my child have a stomach ache every morning before school?Morning stomach aches are real pain. Rule out medical causes with your pediatrician first, then see how Corti and Vagi connect the gut and brain.
• Why do teenagers take more risks with friends?In a 2011 lab study, only teens took more risks when friends watched. How the reward system and Fronti’s brakes explain it, and what helps.
• Why doesn’t my child listen until I yell?Many kids only move when the volume jumps. Why that happens, what a yell does to Migo, and how to get listening with less volume and no guilt.

Educational content only, not medical advice. New pages are added as we write them. All guides · Meet the crew