PARENTAL TIPS

Category - Rough Play and Getting Too Physical

Articles

How can I advocate for my child with a coach or supervisor on the spot?

How can I balance ‘be brave’ with ‘protect your body’ on the pitch?

How Can I Balance Medication Side Effects With the Need to Move?

How can I coach taking turns being the chaser and the chased?

How can I debrief after a hard tackle so confidence stays intact?

How can I get two angry kids to stand down without picking sides?

How can I guide apologies that include a plan to play safer next time?

How can I guide my child when a friend’s play style is rougher than what we allow at home?

How can I handle another parent who laughs off roughness that hurt?

How Can I Help a Child Who Laughs When They Are Actually Overwhelmed?

How can I loop in another parent after a rough incident without drama?

How can I make safety gear normal for certain games at home?

How Can I Plan Movement Before School So Classroom Hits Drop?

How Can I Prevent Property Damage When Play Escalates Indoors?

How can I protect a sensory-seeking child without labelling them ‘rough’?

How can I redirect couch jumping without killing the mood?

How Can I Redirect Hitting into Pads or Pillows Without Rewarding It?

How Can I Roughhouse With My Child in a Way That Teaches Control?

How can I set time limits so bedtime is not derailed by high energy?

How can I step in when two siblings gang up on one ‘for fun’?

How can I teach “ask before tackling” so consent is part of the game?

How Can I Teach Checking Breathing and Heart Rate as a Self-Scan?

How can I teach power control so “strong” does not mean “unsafe”?

How Can I Teach Repair When Bruises or Tears Have Happened?

How Can I Use Visual Rules to Cue ‘Safe Hands, Safe Body’?

How can my child ask a new friend to stop without starting a fight?

How Can We Practise ‘Tap Out’ So Stopping Feels Strong, Not Weak?

How do I avoid shaming language when I have to call time on play?

How do I brief my child before soft play so they keep hands to themselves?

How do I coach “check in” mid-play when someone looks unsure?

How Do I Coach a Child Who Cannot Gauge Their Own Strength?

How Do I Coach Peers to Include a Child Who Plays Intensely?

How do I explain our rough play rules to another parent without sounding judgemental?

How Do I Explain Sensory Needs to Relatives Who Think It Is ‘Naughty’?

How Do I Give a High-Energy Child Safe Heavy-Work Outlets Each Day?

How do I handle a child who amps up after I ask for them to be gentle?

How do I handle a child who celebrates big hits more than good plays?

How Do I Help a Child Name the Difference Between Silly and Scary?

How do I host high-energy play without anyone getting singled out?

How do I reset when bedtime roughhousing winds everyone up?

How Do I Respond When a Child Says ‘I Was Only Joking’ After Causing Hurt?

How do I respond when laughter snaps to tears in two seconds?

How do I separate fighters fast without grabbing or scaring?

How do I set a ‘yes’ space for wrestling without turning the whole house into a ring?

How do I spot signs of concussion or injury during rough play?

How do I stop ‘play fighting’ turning into score-settling between siblings?

How Do I Stop a Child Who Chases a Frightened Younger Sibling?

How Do I Teach My Child to Read Faces and Spot ‘This Is Not Fun Anymore’?

How do I tell if my child is ready for a contact sport versus a skills class?

How Do I Tell When ‘Play’ Is Masking Anger or Payback?

How do we document patterns of injuries so we can change routines?

How do we set trampoline rules when many kids jump at once?

How do we use mouthguards and headgear without scaring them?

What bedtime debrief helps tomorrow’s play go better?

What Do I Change If Rough Play Spikes When Guests Are Over?

What Do I Do When a Child Freezes Instead of Speaking Up?

What do I do when an ‘accidental’ elbow keeps happening?

What do I do when rough play becomes a cover for bullying?

What Do I Do When Rough Play Starts After Screen Rage or Stress?

What Do I Do When Tags or Fabrics Trigger Touch-Based Lashing Out?

What do I do when younger kids copy an older sibling’s WWE moves?

What do I message a parent after their child hurt mine “by accident”?

What do I say first after someone gets hurt to keep blame low?

What do I say to a coach if drills seem too aggressive for my child?

What do I say when a party game pushes kids to shove for prizes?

What do I say when rough play starts near stairs or glass?

What helps a child switch from competition mode back to family mode?

What helps siblings reconnect after someone got hurt?

What Helps with Transitions So Excitement Does Not Explode into Roughness?

What house rules keep rough play fun but stop head and neck contact?

What Indoor Setup Works for a Sensory Seeker Who Loves Crashing?

What is a calm way to pause play when guests arrive who are not used to it?

What Is a Colour Code We Can Use to Slow, Pause, or Stop Play?

What Is a Fair Consequence When Someone Weaponises a Toy During Play?

What Is a Fair Plan When a Child Needs Wrestling but Siblings Do Not?

What is a family rule for red/yellow cards when play gets reckless?

What is a polite way to end a playdate early when safety is slipping?

What Is a Quiet Code My Child Can Use to Ask for Deep Pressure Safely?

What is a safe way to practise takedowns at home, if at all?

What is a simple repair script we use before anyone goes back to play?

What is a simple stop word we can all honour the first time, every time?

What is fair rough play between a big child and a small one?

What is the consequence when a child ignores the stop word?

What is the safest way to join a football game that is already getting heated?

What Phrase Helps a Child Ask for Gentler Play Without Losing Face?

What Plan Helps a Child Who Seeks the Adrenaline Rush from Hurting?

What Practice Helps Them Switch from Wrestling to Calm in Two Minutes?

What Quick Body Signals Tell Me Rough Play Is About to Tip Over?

What quick room changes lower risk when play is ramping up?

What Resets Bring Arousal Down Fast Without Shaming the Fun?

What safety checks should we do before letting them spar in martial arts?

What script helps a child say ‘too hard’ without getting mocked?

What Script Sets a Hard Line After a Bite or Scratch?

What should I do when the host allows tackles my child is not comfortable with?

What should my child do if an older kid ‘rough teaches’ them a move?

What should we do after a fall when they want to jump back in too fast?

What words keep me playful while still enforcing safety lines?

When Is It Time to Ban Wrestling for a Season to Reset?

When is it wise to get coaching from a therapist or coach about rough play?

When Should I Seek an OT Consult About Constant Rough Play?

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