It's easy to build a beautiful family plan in January and then feel crushed when real life shows up. In today's episode, Dr. Amy Patenaude shares a brain-based alternative: the Tiny Wins Roadmap. You'll pick a North Star for how you want home to feel, name one skill your child is practicing, and choose one Tiny Win to run as a simple 7-day experiment so your plan works on a random Tuesday, not just on a motivated Sunday.

• How to choose a North Star word that guides your whole year without turning into rigid rules
• What Tiny Wins actually means and why outcomes are not actions
• The brain-based reason routines help: predictability lowers stress and reduces decision fatigue
• How to frame hard moments as skill practice (starting, sticking, transitioning) instead of character flaws
• A real-life after-school homework start line routine you can copy: snack, decompress, 7-minute timer, start together
• A short school email script to get teachers on the same team with skill-based language

Pick one. One is enough.

1. The 5-minute Sunday Game Plan: Set a 5-minute timer. Pick one Tiny Win for the week. Write it on a sticky note.
2. Anchor a habit: After teeth, do a 2-minute tomorrow check (clothes and backpack).
3. Environment tweak: Create a backpack hook or landing zone, choose one timer location, or set up a visible snack bin.
4. Skill-based praise: "I noticed you started even though you didn't want to. That's the skill."

Download the Boredom Buster Cheat Sheet, a kid-friendly Move, Meet, Mellow menu with activity ideas, simple steps to use it, and calm scripts for screen-time boundaries:
https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/boredomebusterguide

Want help finding words when your brain is fried? Download 50 AI Prompts for Exhausted Parents, tiny scripts for meltdowns, school emails, screen time, all of it. Copy a prompt into ChatGPT and let it help you draft the words so your tired brain doesn't have to start from scratch:
https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/aiprompts4parents

If you're parenting a big-feeling, strong-willed kid and you're thinking, "What is happening right now?" I made something for you. Get simple, brain-based support for parenting big feelings, plus a quick guide to help you decode what's really going on underneath meltdowns and shutdowns.
Big Feelings Decoder: https://psyched2parent.myflodesk.com/bigfeelingsdecoder

This podcast is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical, psychological, or legal advice. Listening to this podcast does not create a provider-client relationship. If you're concerned about your child's mental health, safety, or development, please consult a qualified professional in your area.