August 21, 2025 • 13 mins
What if the meltdowns, hyper energy, or constant battles you’re having with your child weren’t actually discipline problems—but sensory needs you didn’t even know existed?
In this episode of Intentional Motherhood, Kelsey unpacks the powerful yet often-overlooked vestibular system—our internal sense of balance and spatial awareness that lives in the inner ear. While you might not think about it much, the vestibular system is working behind the scenes every time your child spins, jumps, rocks, swings, or rolls across the floor. And here’s the game-changer: these movements aren’t “just play.” They’re your child’s way of regulating their nervous system, building focus, and finding emotional balance.
Episode Freebie! Download your cheat sheet for Helping Kids Regulate through Vestibular System Activation!
You’ll learn:
- What the vestibular system is, how it communicates with the brain, and why God designed it to be such a central hub for regulation.
- The fascinating way this system is connected to both the brainstem (which controls automatic functions like heart rate and breath) and the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain).
- Why certain movements—especially slow, rhythmic ones like swinging or rocking—can calm anxiety, reduce overwhelm, and even prevent meltdowns.
- The surprising link between vestibular input and improved focus, sleep, coordination, and emotional flexibility.
- Two simple tools you can bring into your home (a swing and a trampoline) that will give your children healthy ways to regulate themselves—without you always stepping in.
If you’ve ever wondered why rocking calms a baby, why your kids can spin for hours without feeling sick, or how to help your child reset when they’re overstimulated, this episode will give you fresh insight and practical strategies.
It’s not about doing more or controlling more—it’s about understanding more. And once you see your child’s play through the lens of the vestibular system, you’ll begin to recognize their incredible built-in ability to meet their own needs.
This episode is packed with both science and heart—and it just might transform the way you view your child’s behavior forever.
Subscribe now, share this show with a mom friend, and join the conversation!
Connect with Kelsey:
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Kelsey Redd (00:07):
Hey friends, welcome back to Intentional
Motherhood. I'm your host,Kelsey Redd, a mental health
counselor turned stay at homemom with four young, active
little kids. And I am so gladyou're here today because this
episode is going to be one ofthose game changer moments for
you. Because we're gonna talkabout something that might not
(00:30):
be on your radar just yet, butonce you understand it, it's
going to shift the way you lookat your child's behavior, their
meltdown, and even their play.Today, we're diving deep into
the vestibular system.
And if you're thinking the whatnow? Don't worry, I got you.
(00:52):
We're going to talk all aboutthis. And I'm even going to give
you two tools that you can bringinto your home that will help
your children self soothe andregulate their emotions without
your help. So maybe you've heardof the vestibular system before
from an OT or in a parentingarticle or something, but today
(01:15):
we're really going to unpackwhat it is, what it's made of,
and how it communicates with thebrain, and why certain movements
are such a vital part of yourchildren's regulation.
And if you're like me and youlove geeking out over
neurobiology and how Goddesigned our bodies and brains
(01:35):
to work together, then you're inluck because we're get a little
nerdy here. So what is thevestibular system? The
vestibular system is ourinternal sense of balance and
spatial orientation. This is thesystem that helps us know where
our head is in space, whetherwe're moving or not moving, how
(01:58):
fast we're moving. This is thesystem that is really active in
children and makes it so thatthey can spin and spin and spin,
and they don't get sick, whereasadults who have a less active
vestibular system start to getdizzy a lot faster.
(02:18):
So the vestibular system islocated in the inner ear, and it
has a couple main functions. Ithelps us with our sense of
balance, which is why when youget a head cold or an ear
infection, you can feel thatvertigo because those inner ears
are clogged up and that isaffecting your sense of balance
(02:39):
and even your spatialorientation. So the first
function is that it helps uswith our balance and the second
function is that spatialorientation that I was referring
to. And it actually detectsmovement. It can detect
rotational movement like thespinning and rolling and turning
that kids tend to enjoy.
(02:59):
And it also detects ouracceleration and gravity, like
going up and down in anescalator, as well as swinging
back and forth and even jumping.So when your head moves, the
fluid in the structures of theinner ear shifts, which bend
tiny little hair cells, and allthat sends signals to your brain
(03:21):
about what kind of motion you'reexperiencing. Which if that
isn't a testament to God'screation of our body, because
what attention to detail isthat, that these tiny organs and
these tiny hair cells canperform such an important
function, then I don't know whatelse is. This is what I love
(03:41):
studying about. So thevestibular system isn't just
about the balance and thedetection of where you are in
space, it's actually a centralhub for sensory processing.
It has strong connections to thebrainstem, which is really
important because this is whatcontrols our autonomic nervous
(04:04):
system, things like heart rates,breath, and basic survival
responses, as well as to ourlimbic system, which is our
emotional brain, the same thingthat manages fear, connection,
and memory. So because of theseconnections, the vestibular
system directly affects if we'refeeling safe or calm or alert or
(04:29):
overwhelmed. So when you'rehaving a child that is spinning
or jumping or rocking orswinging, they're not just
playing necessarily, they'reactually influencing their
nervous system. So these certainkinds of movements that
stimulate the vestibular systemalso regulate the nervous
(04:51):
system. Because it providessensory grounding, kids might
spin or rock or swing whenthey're dysregulated or feeling
lost in space, spacey or zonedout.
This movement can help them comeback to their center, both
(05:12):
physically and emotionally.These movements, particularly
slow and rhythmic inputs to thevestibular system, such as
swinging or rocking, canactually activate the
parasympathetic nervous system.And you guys have heard me talk
about the parasympatheticnervous system because this is
(05:34):
the rest and digest or thecalming part of our nervous
system. When our parasympatheticnervous system is activated, it
calms the heart rate down, itslows our breathing, and it says
to the brain basically, You'resafe now. It helps us shift out
of the sympathetic nervoussystem, which is our stress
response, or fight or flightresponse.
(05:58):
So this is why, you're probablystarting to understand, this is
why rocking a baby helps them tocalm down because of that
vestibular input. Other amazingeffects of vestibular input are
sharpening attention and evenimproving coordination, as well
(06:19):
as supporting memoryintegration, and altogether
helping integrate other sensorysystems such as proprioception
so that your child can feelcentered in their body. So what
does this mean for you as aparent? You might want to start
(06:41):
asking yourself, is my childgetting opportunities to move
their body in a way thatstimulates this vestibular
system and gives them reallybalanced, rhythmic vestibular
input throughout the day. Forinstance, do they have an
opportunity to spin and jump andswing?
(07:02):
Or are they stuck sitting allday or watching a screen?
Because when we provideopportunities for these
movements, spinning, swinging,jumping, rolling, and even
climbing, we are giving theirnervous system the input it
needs to stay organized,grounded, and resilient. And you
(07:22):
might start to notice fewermeltdowns, maybe increased
focus, even better sleep, easiertransitions, and just overall
emotional flexibility oradaptability. And kids, this is
the part I love the most, kidsintuitively know this. We see
(07:42):
kids loving to roll down hillsor spin, just spin in circles
for no other reason other thanspinning, jumping on a
trampoline, right?
Kids love this. And I feel likewe need to trust our children's
instinctual understanding oftheir needs so that they can
(08:03):
regulate themselves. So here arethe two tools that I'm going to
encourage you to find access toso that you can encourage this
kind of self regulation and selfsoothing with your children.
First is a swing. We have alittle hammock swing that we
just have screwed into ourceiling so that our kids have an
(08:26):
opportunity to go sit in thatswing and it can spin and it can
just swing.
They do this mostly for fun, butI actually bought it years ago
when one of my twins, mydaughter, was much younger and I
recognized that she was verydifficult to soothe. She had a
(08:46):
hard time calming down when shewas a baby. And I wanted
something where we could feelsafe and cozy and I could just
swing her back and forth. Iwould hold her in my arms and
we'd swing on that swing for aslong as we needed for her to be
able to regulate her emotions alittle bit. And it became
(09:07):
something that she knew wasgoing to be a safe place for
her.
I'm thinking she was probablyaround like a little over a year
or so, so not quite in thatnewborn stage, but still needing
help to regulate. And because itcould be exhausting for me as
the mom to have to hold her inpace with her or rock her or
(09:29):
bounce her in my arms, we gotthis swing. It's a hammock
swing, it really surrounds youand holds you tight and close.
And we would swing in that andwe could spin and we could rock
side to side as well as frontand back. And it was a really
great tool and still is a reallygreat tool for our family for
some emotional regulation.
(09:50):
The second tool I encourageevery family to have is some
sort of trampoline or somethingthat kids can bounce on. We have
a big trampoline in our backyardand our whole family loves it
all the time, but you could alsojust have a little mini
trampoline or something elsesmall that kids can bounce on
(10:10):
that you can encourage them tobounce on. We're always telling
our kids, don't jump on thecouch, don't jump on the bed.
Let's make sure they havesomething to bounce on so we can
say, go over to the littletrampoline and bounce your
little heart out until you'reregulated. I use these two tools
in different situations.
When a kid is having anemotional breakdown, it seems to
(10:33):
me that they need more of thatslow rhythmic movement of the
swing to help them just calmdown and regulate. Whereas when
my kids are bouncing off thewall or getting aggressive and
crazy and wild, that's when Iusually send them out to the
trampoline outside and say, Gojump. Sometimes we even send
(10:54):
them on missions and say, Go do100 jumps and then come back in
and we can work on the chorethat you're resisting or
whatever it is. And that seemsto help them activate their
regulation and come back readyto engage with a little bit more
attention and focus than theyhad before. So if your child is
(11:14):
bouncing off the walls orspiraling into overstimulation
or overwhelm, it may not alwaysbe a discipline issue, it may
actually be a vestibular need.
And once you see that, once youstart to meet their need for
movement instead of resistingit, your whole parenting lens
shifts. It's not necessarilyabout doing more, it's not about
(11:37):
controlling more. Sometimes it'sjust about understanding more
and understanding that kids haveintuitive understanding of what
they need. And you might want toactually encourage your kid to
go outside and spin around or tohop on a swing and swing for ten
minutes when they're having ahard time. And that can help
(11:59):
alleviate some of the overwhelmand disciplinary issues that
you're maybe facing.
So if this episode sparkedsomething in you, I would love
for you to leave a review soother moms can find it, or
better yet, just share it with afriend who may also be
navigating sensory challenges orwants to understand their child
(12:21):
a little more deeply. As always,I'm here cheering you on as you
build a home rooted in peace,connection, and presence. So I
will see you next time onIntentional Motherhood.
Hey friends, welcome back to Intentional
Motherhood. I'm your host,Kelsey Redd, a mental health
counselor turned stay at homemom with four young, active
little kids. And I am so gladyou're here today because this
episode is going to be one ofthose game changer moments for
you. Because we're gonna talkabout something that might not
(00:30):
be on your radar just yet, butonce you understand it, it's
going to shift the way you lookat your child's behavior, their
meltdown, and even their play.Today, we're diving deep into
the vestibular system.
And if you're thinking the whatnow? Don't worry, I got you.
(00:52):
We're going to talk all aboutthis. And I'm even going to give
you two tools that you can bringinto your home that will help
your children self soothe andregulate their emotions without
your help. So maybe you've heardof the vestibular system before
from an OT or in a parentingarticle or something, but today
(01:15):
we're really going to unpackwhat it is, what it's made of,
and how it communicates with thebrain, and why certain movements
are such a vital part of yourchildren's regulation.
And if you're like me and youlove geeking out over
neurobiology and how Goddesigned our bodies and brains
(01:35):
to work together, then you're inluck because we're get a little
nerdy here. So what is thevestibular system? The
vestibular system is ourinternal sense of balance and
spatial orientation. This is thesystem that helps us know where
our head is in space, whetherwe're moving or not moving, how
(01:58):
fast we're moving. This is thesystem that is really active in
children and makes it so thatthey can spin and spin and spin,
and they don't get sick, whereasadults who have a less active
vestibular system start to getdizzy a lot faster.
(02:18):
So the vestibular system islocated in the inner ear, and it
has a couple main functions. Ithelps us with our sense of
balance, which is why when youget a head cold or an ear
infection, you can feel thatvertigo because those inner ears
are clogged up and that isaffecting your sense of balance
(02:39):
and even your spatialorientation. So the first
function is that it helps uswith our balance and the second
function is that spatialorientation that I was referring
to. And it actually detectsmovement. It can detect
rotational movement like thespinning and rolling and turning
that kids tend to enjoy.
(02:59):
And it also detects ouracceleration and gravity, like
going up and down in anescalator, as well as swinging
back and forth and even jumping.So when your head moves, the
fluid in the structures of theinner ear shifts, which bend
tiny little hair cells, and allthat sends signals to your brain
(03:21):
about what kind of motion you'reexperiencing. Which if that
isn't a testament to God'screation of our body, because
what attention to detail isthat, that these tiny organs and
these tiny hair cells canperform such an important
function, then I don't know whatelse is. This is what I love
(03:41):
studying about. So thevestibular system isn't just
about the balance and thedetection of where you are in
space, it's actually a centralhub for sensory processing.
It has strong connections to thebrainstem, which is really
important because this is whatcontrols our autonomic nervous
(04:04):
system, things like heart rates,breath, and basic survival
responses, as well as to ourlimbic system, which is our
emotional brain, the same thingthat manages fear, connection,
and memory. So because of theseconnections, the vestibular
system directly affects if we'refeeling safe or calm or alert or
(04:29):
overwhelmed. So when you'rehaving a child that is spinning
or jumping or rocking orswinging, they're not just
playing necessarily, they'reactually influencing their
nervous system. So these certainkinds of movements that
stimulate the vestibular systemalso regulate the nervous
(04:51):
system. Because it providessensory grounding, kids might
spin or rock or swing whenthey're dysregulated or feeling
lost in space, spacey or zonedout.
This movement can help them comeback to their center, both
(05:12):
physically and emotionally.These movements, particularly
slow and rhythmic inputs to thevestibular system, such as
swinging or rocking, canactually activate the
parasympathetic nervous system.And you guys have heard me talk
about the parasympatheticnervous system because this is
(05:34):
the rest and digest or thecalming part of our nervous
system. When our parasympatheticnervous system is activated, it
calms the heart rate down, itslows our breathing, and it says
to the brain basically, You'resafe now. It helps us shift out
of the sympathetic nervoussystem, which is our stress
response, or fight or flightresponse.
(05:58):
So this is why, you're probablystarting to understand, this is
why rocking a baby helps them tocalm down because of that
vestibular input. Other amazingeffects of vestibular input are
sharpening attention and evenimproving coordination, as well
(06:19):
as supporting memoryintegration, and altogether
helping integrate other sensorysystems such as proprioception
so that your child can feelcentered in their body. So what
does this mean for you as aparent? You might want to start
(06:41):
asking yourself, is my childgetting opportunities to move
their body in a way thatstimulates this vestibular
system and gives them reallybalanced, rhythmic vestibular
input throughout the day. Forinstance, do they have an
opportunity to spin and jump andswing?
(07:02):
Or are they stuck sitting allday or watching a screen?
Because when we provideopportunities for these
movements, spinning, swinging,jumping, rolling, and even
climbing, we are giving theirnervous system the input it
needs to stay organized,grounded, and resilient. And you
(07:22):
might start to notice fewermeltdowns, maybe increased
focus, even better sleep, easiertransitions, and just overall
emotional flexibility oradaptability. And kids, this is
the part I love the most, kidsintuitively know this. We see
(07:42):
kids loving to roll down hillsor spin, just spin in circles
for no other reason other thanspinning, jumping on a
trampoline, right?
Kids love this. And I feel likewe need to trust our children's
instinctual understanding oftheir needs so that they can
(08:03):
regulate themselves. So here arethe two tools that I'm going to
encourage you to find access toso that you can encourage this
kind of self regulation and selfsoothing with your children.
First is a swing. We have alittle hammock swing that we
just have screwed into ourceiling so that our kids have an
(08:26):
opportunity to go sit in thatswing and it can spin and it can
just swing.
They do this mostly for fun, butI actually bought it years ago
when one of my twins, mydaughter, was much younger and I
recognized that she was verydifficult to soothe. She had a
(08:46):
hard time calming down when shewas a baby. And I wanted
something where we could feelsafe and cozy and I could just
swing her back and forth. Iwould hold her in my arms and
we'd swing on that swing for aslong as we needed for her to be
able to regulate her emotions alittle bit. And it became
(09:07):
something that she knew wasgoing to be a safe place for
her.
I'm thinking she was probablyaround like a little over a year
or so, so not quite in thatnewborn stage, but still needing
help to regulate. And because itcould be exhausting for me as
the mom to have to hold her inpace with her or rock her or
(09:29):
bounce her in my arms, we gotthis swing. It's a hammock
swing, it really surrounds youand holds you tight and close.
And we would swing in that andwe could spin and we could rock
side to side as well as frontand back. And it was a really
great tool and still is a reallygreat tool for our family for
some emotional regulation.
(09:50):
The second tool I encourageevery family to have is some
sort of trampoline or somethingthat kids can bounce on. We have
a big trampoline in our backyardand our whole family loves it
all the time, but you could alsojust have a little mini
trampoline or something elsesmall that kids can bounce on
(10:10):
that you can encourage them tobounce on. We're always telling
our kids, don't jump on thecouch, don't jump on the bed.
Let's make sure they havesomething to bounce on so we can
say, go over to the littletrampoline and bounce your
little heart out until you'reregulated. I use these two tools
in different situations.
When a kid is having anemotional breakdown, it seems to
(10:33):
me that they need more of thatslow rhythmic movement of the
swing to help them just calmdown and regulate. Whereas when
my kids are bouncing off thewall or getting aggressive and
crazy and wild, that's when Iusually send them out to the
trampoline outside and say, Gojump. Sometimes we even send
(10:54):
them on missions and say, Go do100 jumps and then come back in
and we can work on the chorethat you're resisting or
whatever it is. And that seemsto help them activate their
regulation and come back readyto engage with a little bit more
attention and focus than theyhad before. So if your child is
(11:14):
bouncing off the walls orspiraling into overstimulation
or overwhelm, it may not alwaysbe a discipline issue, it may
actually be a vestibular need.
And once you see that, once youstart to meet their need for
movement instead of resistingit, your whole parenting lens
shifts. It's not necessarilyabout doing more, it's not about
(11:37):
controlling more. Sometimes it'sjust about understanding more
and understanding that kids haveintuitive understanding of what
they need. And you might want toactually encourage your kid to
go outside and spin around or tohop on a swing and swing for ten
minutes when they're having ahard time. And that can help
(11:59):
alleviate some of the overwhelmand disciplinary issues that
you're maybe facing.
So if this episode sparkedsomething in you, I would love
for you to leave a review soother moms can find it, or
better yet, just share it with afriend who may also be
navigating sensory challenges orwants to understand their child
(12:21):
a little more deeply. As always,I'm here cheering you on as you
build a home rooted in peace,connection, and presence. So I
will see you next time onIntentional Motherhood.
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