The Five-Step Flow

When things go sideways, run these steps in order:

1. Narrate — say what you see, name no villain.
2. Calm — your steady voice pulls them out of fight-or-flight.
3. Hand it back — "What ideas do you have?"
4. Two choices — when they stall, offer two paths, not ten.
5. Circle back — after any break, finish the conversation.

Keep them in sequence: skip straight to choices before kids are calm and they will reject every option you name.