Read on to learn a few tips and tricks navigate their BIG emotions.
Parenting can be challenging, especially when your child is overwhelmed by big emotions like anger, frustration, or anxiety. There are simple and effective strategies that can help your child regain their calm and composure, just remember it takes time and practice. In this blog post, we'll explore three quick calming techniques that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine: deep breathing, blowing bubbles, and taking a break. These methods will teach your children valuable skills for self-regulation and mindfulness.
Let's dive into these calming strategies and discover how they can transform your child's ability to handle stress.
Tip #1 - Breathe
Technique: Have your child place their hand on their belly, and relax their shoulders. Guide them to breathe in through their nose, allowing their belly to fill up like a balloon. Then, breathe out through their mouth, deflating the belly.
Benefit: This method helps children focus on their breathing, which can slow their heart rate and promote relaxation.
Tip #2 - Blow Bubbles
Technique: Give your child bubbles to blow. The act of blowing bubbles requires controlled breathing - nice slow inhale, and slow exhale to make the bubbles big.
Benefit: This controlled breathing mirrors deep breathing exercises, which are known to reduce stress and promote relaxation. The fun and visual feedback from the bubbles make the process engaging, encouraging children to practice the technique without even realizing they are learning a valuable calming skill.
If your child is upset, blowing bubbles can help them slow down and breathe deeply, providing a calming effect. This activity also distracts them from their anger or frustration. When your child is distressed, introduce them to bubbles and observe if it helps them process their emotions more effectively. As an educator I have seen bubbles work miracles for children who felt angry, give it a try yourself and see how it can calm you. BLOW!
"Learning and cultivating skills of mindfulness—the ability to stay focused on one’s present experience with nonjudgmental awareness—can help us to promote the calm, relaxed, but enlivened classroom environment that children need to learn" (Waterford.org).
Tip #3 - Take a Break
Technique: If your child is feeling mad, frustrated, angry, or upset, encourage them to take a break. Help your child find a calm or Zen place where they can process their feelings. This could be their room, under their bed, on their bean bag—anywhere they feel safe. They might choose to read, cuddle with stuffed animals, or play with toys to help them relax and work through their emotions.
Why the Break? When a child is upset, they are not in a state to think rationally. Allowing them time to calm down before discussing the issue leads to a more productive conversation. I know this can be hard for us parents, but believe me- waiting for the calm after the storm is much more beneficial. This break helps them come down from a high emotional state, making it easier to work through the situation and learn from it.
Summary
These tips may seem simple, but the key takeaway is the importance of practice. When your child practices while feeling calm or content, they're more likely to employ these skills effectively when faced with anger, frustration, or sadness.
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