“You need to calm down!” But HOW?
How often do we tell our kids, “you need to calm down”? Do they actually know what it means to be calm? Do they actually know how to calm their body and mind?
I had lunch with a friend this week and we talked about her son and some tantrums he was having. When my friend talked to the school social worker, she asked these same questions.
Kids yoga is a great way for kids to learn techniques to help calm themselves down when needed. Below are ten techniques I recommend. Keep in mind every kid processes things differently, and may react differently on different days, so you may need to try a few of these out or try them several times for them to make an impact.
Breathing while touching finger to thumb and saying “Peace Begins with Me” or “I am Calming Down”.
Have a calm down box with things such as squishy balls, a dry erase board, a book, a small puzzle, bubbles, and/or playdough.
Physically allow them to move the emotion through their body (think a kid flailing on the floor). Provide them a pillow to squeeze, see if they can do 10 jumping jacks and then tell you why they are upset, or massage their arms and legs while they sit on your lap (if they can calm down enough to sit!).
Listen to a guided meditation. These can be found on YouTube, or on various apps such as Calm or Meditation Studio (I use Meditation Studio often for kid specific meditations).
Do a 4 x 4 x 4 x 4 breath practice. Breathe in for 4, hold for 4, breathe out for 4, hold for 4. Practice 4 rounds.
Try an inversion. Help your child put their legs up the wall. The blood will flow easier to their heart sending a calming message to the brain to come out of fight or flight mode. If they’re little enough turn them upside down. This may startle them at first and that alone may make them giggle or stop their tantrum for a second to find out what you’re doing.
Encourage the child to drink a glass of water slowly. Water has naturally calming properties.
Put on their favorite song and sing aloud. Singing out loud releases endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are chemicals that make you feel good! Check out the song “Every Little Cell” on YouTube from Kidding Around Yoga. The kids love to sing along and tap their body along with the music. Tapping is another great way for kids to release energy.
Light a candle and have your child blow it out. Light it again and move it a bit further away. Do this a few more times until the child has calmed their breath in order to blow out the candle. This is a great deep breathing practice!
Give them a big bear hug! A 20 second hug increases feelings of well being and reduces the harmful physical effects of stress. Read more about the benefits of hugging at the link below!
Here’s to lots of peaceful children and lots of peaceful parents!