Tantrum of the Week

Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor ™
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Welcome to Tantrum of the Week, the parenting podcast that helps you make sense of your child’s hardest moments. Hosted by Lynn McLean, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, each episode explores one real-life tantrum and uncovers the emotional needs, triggers, and stressors underneath. You’ll learn how to: Understand the why behind your child’s behaviorRespond with calm and confidence — not frustrationBuild emotional regulation skills through connectionUse play therapy-informed parenting strategies that actually work Whether you’re dealing with bedtime battles, sibling fights, or after-school meltdowns, Tantrum of the Week offers practical tips, expert insight, and a reminder that you’re not alone. 🎧 New episodes weekly. 📍 Based in Houston, Texas — helpful for parents everywhere.

  1. 2d ago

    Why Sunday Nights Feel Impossible

    You know the feeling? It's Sunday night, you've had a great weekend, and the second you open your calendar app your shoulders tense up. Practices, school events, work stuff, and oh right — you still need lunch stuff for tomorrow. That dread doesn't turn into "okay, I got this." It turns into snapping at everyone around you, staying up too late trying to get ahead, and starting Monday already wiped out. This week we're talking about the parent tantrum — what happens when the invisible mental load of being the family's project manager finally catches up with you. We get into why this isn't about being disorganized (it's not!), how the dread can start showing up before the week even begins, and the belief that a "good parent" has it all together, every lunchbox perfect, every kid thriving 24/7. Spoiler: it doesn't have to look like that. We talk through giving yourself permission to be imperfect, handing off tasks to your kids (yes, even the little ones can learn the washing machine), and why taking care of yourself isn't selfish — it's what keeps you able to show up for them. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    Why Sunday Nights Feel Impossible

  2. Sep 2

    When Your Kid Seems Behind

    We usually think of tantrums as something kids have — but this episode is about the tantrum parents have. You know the one: a folder of school paperwork, an offhand comment from a teacher, or a social media post about another kid's reading level, and suddenly you're spiraling, panicking, and up late Googling tutoring programs. We unpack why that anxiety shows up disguised as productivity, why one data point rarely tells the whole story, how kids absorb our worry even when we don't say it out loud, and what actually helps a struggling learner more than another worksheet or flashcard session. Spoiler: it's your calm, not your curriculum. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    When Your Kid Seems Behind

  3. Aug 26

    Top 10 Tips for Setting Your School Year Up for Success

    Top 10 Tips to Survive the School Year (Without All the Tantrums) The excitement of new backpacks and first-day photos has worn off, and now it's week three: homework is piling up, shoes are missing, and everyone's exhausted. In this episode, we're tackling the small daily friction points that build up until someone (kid or parent) blows up. You'll get 10 practical, easy-to-implement strategies for the school year ahead, including how to set expectations you can actually stick to, why a dedicated homework station cuts down on power struggles, how to protect sleep without obsessing over wake-up time, and why praising effort matters more than praising results. Plus, the most important tip of all: taking care of yourself, because you're your household's emotional thermostat. You don't need to overhaul everything. Just pick one idea that fits your family, and give yourself grace on the days it doesn't go perfectly. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    Top 10 Tips for Setting Your School Year Up for Success

  4. Aug 14

    When A Teen Refuses School

    This week's tantrum doesn't look like a tantrum at all — it's a high schooler flatly refusing to go to school. As the first day approaches, junior-year pressures (college talk, testing, shifting friendships) are piling up, and instead of melting down, this teen just digs in: I'm not going. You can't make me. We talk about why a parent's instinct to argue and persuade often backfires, and how getting curious instead — asking open questions, playing detective — can uncover what's really going on underneath the resistance. Plus: how to shrink an overwhelming first week into manageable steps, and how to solve social friction (carpools, shifting friend groups) without caving or over-fixing. If back-to-school season is turning into a standoff at your house, this one's for you. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    When A Teen Refuses School

  5. Aug 4

    The Middle School Morning Meltdown

    It's the first day of middle school, and the shirt your kid loved last week is suddenly "unwearable." Cue slammed drawers, tears, and a full refusal to go. In this episode, we unpack why tantrums from bigger kids can feel so much more intense and personal and what's really going on underneath (hint: it's not about the shirt). You'll get simple, practical steps for staying calm, helping your child reset, and getting out the door without a battle. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    The Middle School Morning Meltdown

  6. Jul 31

    Elementary Back To School Stomach Aches

    A familiar school, a big surprise, and a stomachache that won't quit. This week's tantrum: a third grader finds out their best friend isn't in their class — and refuses to go to school the next morning. We talk through why anxiety can cause very real physical symptoms, how to respond without arguing or getting stuck in a power struggle, and how to send your child off with confidence (and welcome them back with pride). If mornings have been rocky at your house lately, this one's for you. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    Elementary Back To School Stomach Aches

  7. Jul 23

    Preschool Drop-Off Meltdowns

    Tantrum of the Week: Surviving the First Day of Preschool Back-to-school season is creeping up fast, and for some little ones, that means a big first: starting preschool. In this episode, we tackle a tantrum that's all too common this time of year — a preschooler who melts down at drop-off, clinging, crying, and refusing to let go, even after weeks of careful preparation at home. We talk through why this kind of separation anxiety is so normal (and so hard on parents too), and walk through practical, in-the-moment strategies you can use the next time it happens: staying calm so your child can co-regulate with you, working with teachers on a soothing handoff, using transition objects like a photo or favorite stuffed animal, and setting up predictable, event-based routines your child can actually understand and rely on. If you're dreading drop-off this fall, this episode is your reminder: this is a learning process for both of you, and it gets easier with consistency and time. In this episode: Why preschool can be a great fit — when the timing and setting are rightWhat to do in the moment during a drop-off meltdownBuilding consistency, routines, and a clear pickup planUsing transition objects and partnering with the schoolFor more parenting tips, free downloads, and to join our email list, check the link in our bio! Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    Preschool Drop-Off Meltdowns

  8. Jun 23

    You Took My Device Explosion

    Does your child completely melt down when it’s time to turn off the screen and start homework? You’re not alone. In this episode of Tantrum of the Week, child therapist and parent coach Lynn McLean breaks down a common screen time tantrum many parents of elementary-aged children face. When a child refuses to give up their device—and emotions explode—it can leave parents feeling frustrated, guilty, and unsure how to respond. This episode covers: Why screen time triggers intense emotional reactions in kids What’s happening in the brain during a technology-related tantrum How to prevent power struggles before they start What to do when your kid is already throwing a tantrum How to hold limits without escalating the meltdown If you’re dealing with a tween technology tantrum, homework battles, or big emotional reactions around devices, this episode offers practical, compassionate strategies you can use right away. 🎧 Listen to the episode for simple tools to help your child calm down—and help you stay grounded when screen time ends. Thanks for listening to *Tantrum of the Week* with Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist–Supervisor™. New episodes each week to help parents understand and respond to their child’s biggest feelings with calm, confidence, and connection. Learn more about play therapy and parent coaching in Houston, Texas: https://www.houstonfamilytherapyassociates.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @lmcleanlcsw Check us out on Facebook: Lynn M. McLean, LCSW 📩 Join our email list for parenting tips and updates: https://lynnmclean.podia.com/newsletter ❤️ If you found this helpful, please follow, rate, and share the podcast to help other parents find support.

    You Took My Device Explosion
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About

Welcome to Tantrum of the Week, the parenting podcast that helps you make sense of your child’s hardest moments. Hosted by Lynn McLean, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor™, each episode explores one real-life tantrum and uncovers the emotional needs, triggers, and stressors underneath. You’ll learn how to: Understand the why behind your child’s behaviorRespond with calm and confidence — not frustrationBuild emotional regulation skills through connectionUse play therapy-informed parenting strategies that actually work Whether you’re dealing with bedtime battles, sibling fights, or after-school meltdowns, Tantrum of the Week offers practical tips, expert insight, and a reminder that you’re not alone. 🎧 New episodes weekly. 📍 Based in Houston, Texas — helpful for parents everywhere.

Information

  • Creator
    Lynn McLean, LCSW-S, Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor ™
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tantrum of the Week
  • Show Website
    Tantrum of the Week