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How can you help your child overcome Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs)? 🐜 According to the National Science Foundation, 80% of our thoughts are negative and 95% are repetitive. So when your child says, “I always mess things up” or “I’m not as cool as them,” it may feel true to them, but that doesn’t make it a fact.

Here’s how you can support them:

1️⃣ Catch the ANT!
Bring awareness to the thought. Talk about what it sounds like. When kids can name the thought, they create space from it.

2️⃣ Fact or ANT?
Teach the difference. A fact is objective and can be proven true. An ANT is a thought or interpretation that isn’t necessarily true, even if it feels real.

3️⃣ Don’t automatically believe it.
If it’s not a fact, they don’t have to accept it as truth. Help them look for other possible explanations.

4️⃣ Use self-regulation tools.
Strong emotions can make ANTs louder. Simple breathing exercises, movement, or a quick body scan can calm the mind and body so clearer thinking can return.

What’s one ANT your child struggles with most?

Sometimes kids don’t say what’s going on… because they don’t know how to start. Simple check-in questions can open the door.

• What’s been on your mind lately?
• Has anything been stressing you out?
• Is there something hard to talk about?
• What would help you feel supported?

These work because they don’t assume a problem, they just show I’m here and I care.

If your child shrugs or says “nothing,” resist the urge to push. Try: “That’s okay, if you think of something later, I’m always here.”

If they do share, focus less on fixing and more on understanding:
reflect back what you hear → validate → then problem-solve together.

Small, regular check-ins build emotional safety over time. Do your kids open up right away, or only when you least expect it?

Is your child stressed or anxious? 🧐 They can look similar on the outside, but understanding the difference helps you respond in the way your child really needs, whether that’s helping them solve a specific problem or supporting them in calming their body and thoughts! ✅

⚡️Stress is usually connected to a specific situation, like an argument or an upcoming test. Once the situation passes, the feeling often settles too. Stress can even be helpful sometimes - it can motivate kids to prepare or try their best.

🌧️Anxiety, on the other hand, is more of an internal alarm that doesn’t always switch off. A child might feel worried, tense, or on edge even when there’s no clear reason. When anxiety sticks around, it can start to interfere with everyday life.

Noticing patterns can give you helpful clues.
What’s something that’s helped your child during stressful or anxious moments? 💬

What’s one emotional skill you wish you had learned earlier in life? Share below 👇
“Teaching children to manage their emotions is as important as teaching them to read.” 💬 We spend so much time helping kids build academic skills, but emotional skills are what help them handle frustration, bounce back from mistakes, build friendships, and feel confident in themselves. 📚💛 When kids learn how to understand their feelings, calm their bodies, and express themselves in healthy ways, it can change everything - at school and at home.

The beginning of the year often comes with lots of new goals, for us and for our kids. 🌱 But when goals feel too big or unclear, kids can quickly feel overwhelmed or give up before they even start.

That’s where SMART goals can help. They guide kids to turn “I want to…” into a clear plan they can actually follow:

🎯 S - Specific
Instead of a vague goal, help your child name exactly what they want to do. Clear goals feel safer and easier to start.
📏 M - Measurable
Talk about how they’ll know they’re making progress. Seeing small wins builds motivation and confidence along the way.
🤸 A - Achievable
The goal should be realistic for your child right now. When a goal feels possible, kids are more likely to keep going.
🎯 R - Relevant
Goals work best when they matter to your child, not just to us as adults. Ownership makes a big difference.
⏰ T - Time-bound
Setting a timeframe gives structure and helps kids stay focused instead of putting it off.

When kids can explain their goal in their own words, they learn planning, follow-through, and self-belief - skills they’ll use far beyond this year. ✨
What goal is your child working on right now?

💬This mum shared how constant arguments used to be part of her daily life. Juggling the roles of teacher, therapist, and parent all at once. Over time, her daughter began building skills to better manage stress and balance responsibilities, bringing a little more ease and connection back into their home. 💛 Stories like this remind us why emotional and life skills matter so much. ✨

Screens can be tricky in family life, so here are three ideas that can make things feel calmer and more connected at home. 💛 First: lead by example. Yes, it’s hard (we’re all attached to our phones 😅), but when we stay a little more present, kids naturally mirror that. 📵 Creating simple phone-free zones or times (like a device-free kitchen or no screens an hour before bed) can make evenings feel easier for everyone. And when screens are off, having go-to alternatives like family game night, cooking together, or getting some fresh air can make the transition much smoother. 🌿🎲
Parent hacks? Drop your best screen-time tip in the comments 👇

Parent reminder 💛
Big feelings aren’t bad - they’re part of growing up.
In our tapouts sessions, we see kids learn how to talk about emotions and practice handling stress in a supportive group. Over time, those big feelings become easier to understand and manage - for kids and for parents. You don’t have to fix every moment or have the perfect response. Giving kids tools, space, and consistency can make a real difference. We’d love to know, what helps your child most when big emotions show up? 🤔

Looking back at 2025… 💛

Last year, we ran 25,000+ online group sessions for kids, with 207K session enrollments along the way. We supported kids ages 4-16 as they learned how to manage stress, big emotions, and everyday challenges, skills they’ll keep using as they grow up 🌱

Our coaches didn’t miss a single session, and many parents shared that tapouts made a real difference for their kids - from feeling more confident to handling tough moments a little better each week. We also became HSA & FSA eligible, helping make access easier for families.

If you’re heading into this year thinking about how to better support your child emotionally, you can try tapouts for free and see if it’s a good fit ✨

Have you ever wondered if your child’s anger might actually be anxiety? 🤔
Anxiety doesn’t always look like fear. Sometimes it shows up as outbursts, avoidance, irritability, or shutting down. It can be hard to watch, especially when you’re not sure how to help. Anxiety looks different for every child. At tapouts, we help kids build skills to understand emotions and handle stress 🌱
💬 What does anxiety look like in your child?
If you’ve found something that helps, feel free to share - it might help another parent, too. 😊

We’ve been taught a lot of myths about kids with big feelings 🦄
And most of them sound reasonable… until you understand how the nervous system actually works.

What if “stubborn” really meant stuck?
What if consequences don’t create regulation?
What if big reactions are signals, not misbehavior?

Understanding the difference between myth and fact can completely change how hard moments feel.
When you’re ready to swap myths for real tools that support big emotions, try a FREE tapouts session.