Part II – Helping Our Grandchildren Find Their “Calm During Stormy Moments”.

I will be honest and say that Allene is much better at staying calm and helping Sebellah calm down during stormy moments than I am.  I tend to be too emotional in the moment.  There are a lot of resources that can help us in our attempt to help our grandchildren experience “calmness” during their stormy moments. 

So, what can we do to help our children “calm” down during their stormy moments?  Here are a few things to consider:

  1.  Don’t use, “You need to calm down!”  I am very guilty of this and in most cases, it is not effective.
  2. Consider creating a “Safe Zone” or a “Calm Corner” in your house or their bedroom where they can go to calm down.  Create a comfortable space that also has some comforting items such as stuffed animals or stress balls that will help them deescalate their intense emotions.
  3. Practice taking a breath and slowly counting to ten or four, and maybe do it with them.
  4. Separate inappropriate behavior from appropriate emotions.  It is okay to be angry, it is not okay to throw or damage toys or objects.
  5. Take a moment yourself and practice your own calming techniques so that you as the adult, can remain calm and objective.

So, once again, this is an area in which I struggle at times and these tips are good reminders for me as well.  I am also attaching a few links to articles that I found online that might be helpful.

7 Tried and True Calming Techniques for Kids – Moshi (moshikids.com)

6 Relaxation Activities That Can Help to Calm Kids During Times of Anxiety | Save the Children

Creating a Calm Down Area for Your Child | Helping with Self-Regulation (raisinglifelonglearners.com)

Sharing the Journey,

Rich (“Pops”)

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wpadministrator

I have been involved in the field of Human Services for 30 plus years. I teach in the field of Human Services for Purdue University Global. Allene is a stay at home "Lolli", after spending many years in the Healthcare field. We have 3 adult children and in May, 2018, we adopted our granddaughter, who is 6 years-old. We have had her since she was 5 months old. At the end of 2019, we moved to Mount Airy, North Carolina, as a part of a plan to downsize and give Allene the chance to retire, and be at home full-time. We are devoted to making a difference in Sebellah's life and also in the lives of other grandparents raising grandchildren.

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