The Soft Landing: An End-of-Day Reset Plan for Families (Printable PDF)

Out the door by 8am, home at 5.45pm, and by then everyone’s battery is flat. If your neurodiverse child holds it together all day and falls apart at home, you’re not doing anything wrong. They’re a tired battery that needs charging, not a lecture. I’m Em, a parent of three and a secondary teacher. My eldest has a working diagnosis of ASD and inattentive ADHD. I created The Soft Landing, from my classroom management and professional development as a teacher, to build a home where my kids feel safe, and where they see me regulate my own big feelings.

What's inside:

The Soft Landing Guide (29 A4 pages)

• A four-step routine for the first hour home: pause, connect, fuel and move, talk later
• Emotional regulation strategies, including naming big feelings, our calm down menu and a meltdown plan for when you need it
• Sensory regulation strategies, including a sensory-friendly soft landing
• Strategies for building safe, supportive relationships with your children
• The Morning Shuffle: a night-before checklist and an editable timeline to get out the door without tears or fights
• Over a dozen “instead of… try…” phrases for the moments you’re most likely to snap
• A parent regulation check and a repair script for when it goes wrong
• A family plan, a one-week tracker and a one-page fridge card

Good to know

• Instant digital download (PDF), made to print or use on your phone
• Written for school-aged children, and easy to adapt for older or younger kids
• You don’t need a diagnosis to use it

This guide shares one parent’s experience and general strategies. It isn’t medical or psychological advice. Please talk to your child’s health professionals about their individual needs.