Understanding Unusual or Challenging Behaviors by ‘Chasing the Why.’

In last week's conversation, we encouraged foster/adoptive parents to see yourself as the most important healing agent in the life of the child you are caring for and to find the kind of community providers that bring you into the healing process and support you in your caregiver role. In this conversation, we give you a practical first step in navigating those confusing or challenging behaviors, 'Chasing the Why.'

Whether you are a foster/adoptive parent, a volunteer caring for a foster family, a church partner caring for a youth in your congregation, or another community member struggling with the behaviors of a youth you are in relationship with, this can be such a helpful practice!

'Chasing the why' means we lean in to better understand our kids, we bring them close to observe, we document what we see, then we put our detective hats on and look for triggers and patterns that help the confusing or challenging behavior make more sense. Then we relationally or environmentally make changes and work with our kids to grow skills they're missing all of which leads to changed behaviors and healing.  

 

Episode references:

Connected Child Book-Chapter 1, page 9: https://www.amazon.com/Connected-Child-healing-adoptive-family/dp/0071475001 

Becoming Trauma Informed: An Introduction training module: https://therestorenetwork.thinkific.com/courses/introduction 

Behavior Iceberg: https://parentswithconfidence.com/product/iceberg-behavior-visual-18-x-24-poster/?add-to-cart=4687  

Regulation Series Parts 1-8: 

Awareness Brings Empathy-Part 1: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-awareness-brings-empathy/

Identifying the Stress Response-Part 2: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-identifying-the-stress-response/

Identifying Triggers-Part 3: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-identifying-triggers/ 

Making a Safety Plan for your Whole Family-Part 4: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-making-a-safety-plan-for-your-whole-family/ 

Taking Care of Your Own Nervous System-Part 5: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-taking-care-of-your-own-nervous-system/

Proactive Strategies-Part 6: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/proactive-strategies-for-supporting-regulation-part-6/

Keeping Behaviors Low & Returning to Calm-Part 7: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-keeping-behaviors-low-returning-to-calm/

When Behaviors are Scary & Where to Get Help-Part 8: https://therestorenetwork.podbean.com/e/supporting-regulation-when-behaviors-are-scary-and-where-to-get-help/