Connections Child and Family Center

Summer arguments escalate fast.

One minute you're discussing chores. The next minute, voices are raised, things are said that can't be unsaid, and everyone's triggered.

You need a circuit breaker. This is it.

The STOP Skill—a DBT tool that interrupts the emotional hijack:

S - STOP. Pause. Even 5 seconds changes everything.
T - TAKE A STEP BACK. Leave the room. Splash water on your face. Create distance.
O - OBSERVE. What am I feeling? What are they feeling? Get curious, not reactive.
P - PROCEED MINDFULLY. What's the wise response, not the reactive one?

Sometimes it's: "We're both heated. Let's take a break."
Sometimes it's: "I hear you. That sounds hard."
Sometimes it's: "I got defensive. Let me try again."

Teach this to your teen. Practice it together. It works.

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