The Minecraft Meltdown of 4:37pm

On digital meltdowns, emotional regulation, and the drama we all live in now.

A young boy immersed in playing Minecraft on his tablet, while a woman watches in the background on the couch.

It started with a scream. The kind that makes you drop whatever’s in your hands and run because someone is clearly being murdered.

Turns out, no one was bleeding. No one was injured. But one of the kids we were caring for was dramatically draped across the lounge like a Shakespearian hero who’d just lost a kingdom.

“I lost my house! My whole house is gone!”

Now, for context: this was Minecraft—a game where kids build their own worlds, design elaborate bases, raise virtual pets, and sometimes (tragically) fall into lava. And apparently, the house had been carefully mined, built, decorated, and “lived in” for what felt like weeks. Losing it? Devastating.

My husband peeked around the corner and whispered, “It’s just a game, right?”

Cue full-body turn. “IT’S NOT JUST A GAME!”

And honestly, they were right.

To them, that house was control. Creativity. Stability. It was something they made and managed in a world where not everything feels secure.

And if I’m honest? I’ve felt that too.

When real life spins out and you just want one thing to stay put. Their meltdown looked dramatic—but at its core, it was deeply human.

So I didn’t try to fix it. I sat. I listened. I said, “That sucks, hey?” We sat still, together, and eventually, the storm passed.

TRY THIS

Here are a few things I’ve learned from the digital drama of our lounge room:

• Don’t belittle their world. If it matters to them, it matters. Start there.

• Regulate with them. I’ve started narrating my own frustration: “I’m feeling really annoyed too. Let’s take a breath together.” It shows them how to reset, not just shut down.

• Name the wins. When they walk away from the screen calmly—even if it took a few tries—I name it: “That was brave. You handled that really well.”

If you’ve been through a similar moment, you’re not alone. I’m working on a set of tools for parents facing these modern meltdowns—more to come soon.