Playing Hide & Seek with Sharks—and Finding Calm

Playing Hide & Seek with Sharks 🦈

Sometimes the best therapy… doesn’t look like therapy at all.

last weekend, we hit pause on everything.

No schedules. No pressure. No “what’s next.”

Just us… and the sharks.

If you saw our latest video on The Freestyle Project, you already know. my son was absolutely living his best life at the aquarium, playing what can only be described as a full-blown game of hide and seek with the sharks. And honestly? I don’t even think the sharks knew they were part of it… but he did and that’s what mattered.

Because in our world…
sharks are life.

The Power of a “Fixation”

There’s this word that gets thrown around a lot: fixation.

And a lot of times, it’s said like it’s something negative. Something to redirect. Something to “work on.”

But I see it differently.

To me?
That “fixation” is a superpower.

It’s a doorway into how my son experiences the world. It’s what lights him up, grounds him, and connects him.

And more importantly…
it’s one of the most powerful tools we have when things get hard.

When Things Get Tough

Like many families, we have our moments. Meltdowns happen. Overwhelm happens. Big feelings happen.

And when they do, we don’t always have a perfect solution.

But we do have sharks.

When he starts to spiral, we gently shift gears:
“Hey… can you name some sharks for me?”

And just like that, something changes.

Great white. Hammerhead. Tiger shark. Whale shark…

You can almost see the regulation happening in real time.

His breathing slows.
His focus sharpens.
His world starts to feel safe again.

All because of something he loves.

One Kid’s Sharks… Another Kid’s Something Else

We’re still figuring things out with our other son. What’s his “shark”? What’s the thing that helps him reset, refocus, regulate?

We don’t have that answer yet.

And that’s okay.

Because this whole journey?
It’s one day at a time.

One discovery at a time.
One small win at a time.

Sometimes… You Just Need to Go Play

Here’s the thing I’ve learned (and I’m still learning):

Not everything has to be a lesson.
Not everything has to be structured.
Not everything has to be fixed.

Sometimes…
you just need to go to the aquarium and play hide and seek with the sharks.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for your kids—and yourself—is step out of the noise of everyday life and into something simple, joyful, and a little bit magical.

Let Them Love What They Love

If your kid is obsessed with something: dinosaurs, trains, sharks, numbers, maps, anything…

Lean into it.

Celebrate it.
Use it.
Learn from it.

Because that “one thing” might just become your bridge through the hardest moments.

And if nothing else…
it might just lead to some pretty incredible memories.

🦈 Sharks are life over here. What’s “life” in your world?

DISCLAIMER: I am not a licensed therapist, nor have I received formal training in this field. The information I share comes from personal research and strategies I have implemented—or plan to implement—within my own home. My goal is to provide insight into approaches that have supported my children and our family, as well as to share what has or has not been effective for us.