Choose words thoughtfully & listen to our children
It can really hard to stay calm, especially when certain behaviours really press your buttons.
It can really hard to stay calm, especially when certain behaviours really press your buttons.
It can help to have a wee script to give you time to time to think about what these behaviours are really all about. And try to be ready with a script or routine for when they pop up.
It can help to have a wee script to give you time to time to think about what these behaviours are really all about. And try to be ready with a script or routine for when they pop up.
Like “take a deep breath. I can see that you are feeling X. Lets try this to see if that helps”. Saying the same thing each time helps them learn to eventually manage these feelings for themselves.
Like “take a deep breath. I can see that you are feeling X. Lets try this to see if that helps”. Saying the same thing each time helps them learn to eventually manage these feelings for themselves.
Keeping calm takes practice!
Keeping calm takes practice!
Use emotional vocabulary. Naming the feelings helps children to be able to identify them for themselves later on.
Modelling positive interactions. Children absorb all the conversations they are part of and the ones they overhear! If they hear things that make them worried you might have to take a bit of time to explain how the other people were feeling and why they reacted as they did.
Use humour and be lighthearted where you can; that really helps to de escalate things. That doesn’t mean you are condoning behaviour! It means you are in charge of managing it.