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Six things your child can do when a feeling gets too big. Print it, tape it low on the wall, and it is up before bedtime.
One page. No email and nothing to sign up for. A4 and US Letter, and it prints fine in black and white.
Why it works
When a child is upset, the talking part of the brain goes quiet first.
Which is why the middle of it is the worst moment to explain anything. A picture still gets through, and it gives their body a job to do while the rest catches up. If you want the longer version, with what to say and when to stay quiet, we put it in the calm down corner guide.
The six moves
Hold up a finger and let them blow it out like a candle. The slow breath out is the part that settles the body.
Hands, a cushion, a stress ball, whatever is close. Firm pressure gives the body something clear to feel.
Wall push-ups. Big muscles working hard burn off the shaky feeling faster than sitting still does.
A glitter jar, or a bottle of water with glitter and a squirt of glue in it. Their eyes get one slow thing to follow.
Rolled up in a blanket, tight but not stuck. Same idea as a weighted blanket, and you already own it.
A hug, with no need to ask nicely first. Some kids need you close before any of the other five will work.
I spent about two years telling my son to use his words at the exact moment he had none. This is the thing I wish had been on our wall back then. Six moves, nothing to read, nothing to buy. Print it and go get some sleep.
Nour El-Rashidi · Parenting Tips
Preview: this is what prints
You can:
Breathe
Smell the flower. Blow the candle.
Squeeze
Squeeze my hands or something soft.
Push
Push the wall as hard as you can.
Watch
Watch the glitter fall.
Wrap
Roll up like a burrito.
Ask
Ask for a hug.
Decoded Kids · parents-and-kids.com
How to use it
Black and white is fine. Plain paper is fine.
Low, so they can stand in front of it. If they have to look up at it, they forget it is there.
While everyone is calm and nothing is going wrong. No kid tries a new thing for the first time in the middle of a meltdown.
Get it on the wall
One page. No email and nothing to sign up for. A4 and US Letter, and it prints fine in black and white.
Keep reading
Read nextThe Calm-Down Corner That Actually Gets Used
Want the poster explained properly? Here is why kids look at some posters twice and walk past others. Building the corner itself? Start with the DIY calm down corner you probably already own, or see which calm-down kit is worth buying.
Free sampler
A workbench, a cassette player, a berry patch, a shelf of craft supplies and an unfinished game of chess. Bold outlines, large open shapes, one subject per page. Print them, or colour them on a tablet.
Download the 5 pagesPDF · 8.5 × 8.5 inch · No email, no catch
