Kids literally CAN'T access logic when emotionally flooded.

Observing this pattern in your usually resilient kid is key to understanding.

Look to the basics - hunger, thirst, connection and outdoor time.

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Weirdly though as we leave the fog of sickness we leave it feeling stronger bonds as a family and clarity on what we need to focus on.

I’m glad to be through the worst of it and also feel this was a reset.

Having to buckle down and take care of sick kids while sick yourself is one of the most challenging things about parenting.

We could get no help with how contagions the disease was.

I got to bear witness to my two kids suffering before experiencing it myself.

When the night came that my blisters were coming in, my hands burned so badly that I could not sleep.

Red splotches are still all over my hands and my mouth still hurts.

As I joined the kids in experiencing the joys of the virus ravaging my body.

Two days of fever with one of those nights being practically sleepless as I supported my son through the burning torment of incoming blisters.

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Looking to parent through cooperation instead of compliance?

Parent skill tree:

🛡️Level 1: Follow @nickholmquest.bsky.social to learn how I gamify parenthood.

⚔️ Level 2: Share this if you’re ready to deepen your connection.

🏹 Level 3: Unveiling soon...

Sometimes keeping everyone safe IS the win.

Fellow dads navigating the chaos: What's your most epic bedtime battle?

P.S. Testing my full Guild System with one founder-dad. 4 weeks free. DM if bedtime feels like battlefield.

Level 1: Swift Shield (get between them)
Level 2: Validation Wave ("You wanted that SO much")
Level 3: Feeling Inventory ("I see fists that want to squeeze")

That night? I barely managed Level 1.

And that was enough.

Instead of peace I was greeted by incoming teeth, threatening my forearm.

Forcing me to gently grab my daughters head to protect myself.

Here's what helped us re-center:

The Safety Bubble Protocol, an emergency system for when connection meets combat:

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I'm a father of two focused on respect, fun and growth.

Want to level up?

🛡️Level 1: Follow @nickholmquest.bsky.social to learn how I gamify parenthood.

⚔️ Level 2: Share this if you’re ready to turn meltdowns into missions.

🏹 Level 3: Unveiling soon...

It's developing our own emotional toolkit. (kids create endless opportunity for practice)

Guilt has a job: signal repair needed.

Once repair is made, we model letting it go.

Anyone else realizing their kids are mirroring their emotional patterns?

So I tried something different. I modeled self-compassion:

"You made a choice. You made it right. Now we let it go."

The shift? She's learning emotional regulation by watching me practice it.

The real parenting hack isn't teaching our kids emotional skills...

Every time I beat myself up for:
- Training instead of doing bedtime
- Losing patience over independence assertions
- Choosing to workout despite requests to join in for a movie

I was teaching that guilt was meant to be hung on to as a way to show your sorry.

That was wrong...

We finally escaped the bathroom and faced a new challenge.

My kids each wanted to lay down in different rooms, an impossibility.

This week's newsletter we explore finding wisdom through defeat.

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You might know deep in your heart what your kid needs.

But sometimes they won't let you get near them.

Which is jarring if you're not prepared.

Gamification creates a way to explore this scenario with your kids.

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