Why some children crash and crash

Children who crash into furniture, climb the back of the sofa, jump from the second step - they're not being naughty. They're proprioceptive seekers. The nervous system needs heavy input to feel where the body is in space.

Without that input, the world feels vague. The crashing isn't the problem - it's the child's solution to a problem you can't see.

Give the input in a structured way - sensory tunnels, peanut balls, weighted vests, climbing — and the unwanted version (the sofa-diving, the wall-bouncing) reduces. The seeking doesn't go away. It gets channelled.

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"Heavy work isn't punishment. It's the input the body is asking for."

Common Questions

My child climbs everything. Is that dangerous or normal?

It's normal for sensory seekers — and it's a need, not a behaviour. The work is to redirect to safe heavy-input activities (climbing structures, jumping on a mini trampoline, carrying weighted objects) rather than to stop the climbing.

My child hugs too hard. How do I handle it?

The same drive that produces hard hugs produces crashing. Channel it: bear hugs from you, deep-pressure brushing. Once the system is fed, the over-hard hugs reduce.

What's a sensory diet?

A schedule of regular heavy-input activities - usually 6–8 short bursts across the day. It's like feeding a child small meals instead of waiting for them to crash from hunger. The same principle.

Is jumping on the bed actually okay?

Yes, structurally. A mini trampoline is better - same input, safer surface. Half of indoor crashing reduces when there's a sanctioned place to jump for 10 minutes every couple of hours.

My child only crashes when overstimulated. Why?

When the system is overloaded, proprioception is the most regulating channel. Crashing brings the system back. Give the input proactively, before overstimulation hits, and the reactive crashing reduces.