May 2025

Monthly Magic from The Real Work

Real stories. New tools. Gentle support.

🧠 A Story from a Therapist

May Might Mean Meltdowns... and Some Creative Coping

If things feel a little extra right now—your kiddo’s having trouble getting to school, struggling with sleep, bouncing off the walls one minute and clinging to you the next—you’re not imagining it. May is a big month for little (and not-so-little) nervous systems.

Here’s what might be stirring the pot:
🌸 Allergies – Their body’s already working overtime
📅 School schedule shifts – End-of-year events, testing, parties (fun, but unpredictable).
📚 Stressed-out teachers – That energy ripples
☀️ Summer anticipation – Excitement and anxiety often hold hands

Even joyful transitions can feel wobbly. Your child or teen might not have the words, but their behavior is saying, “I need some grounding.”

And honestly? So are ours. Just knowing that there are many little things that could be adding up right now can help us as parents to understand and offer some regulation tools

🌿 One New Thing to Try

--From Walk-and-Talk Therapist Jenn Mohn:

🦉If you’ve ever worked with me, you probably already know how listening to birdsong can enhance a felt sense of safety and wellbeing while out walking on our trails.

🐦 It makes sense, right? Birds only sing when they feel safe, therefore, we humans subconsciously associate it with an absence of threat.

Research has shown that birdsong is more than just a pleasant sound; it significantly enhances our mental health.

Want to know how it can help enhance sleep, improve cognition, and give you a mood boost?

📎 One Printable or Lesson

Regulation Menus—For Kids, Teens, and (Yep) Grownups Too

This month in our team consultation group, we tried something new: Regulation Menus.

Each of us made a short VISUAL list of go-to strategies for getting grounded during hard moments—drinking water, stepping outside, doodling, texting a colleague—and posted it up in our office.

It wasn’t just helpful. It was regulating just to make one.

And we think you’ll love making your own—or one with your child. It’s a sweet way to build emotional awareness and a plan for when things get hard.

Make Your Own Regulation Menu

We’re sharing a printable template so you and your family can make your own menus! Make it a fun low pressure activity!