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8 Ways Kids Can Calm Down Anywhere PLUS a Printable Mini Book

April 3, 2017

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Calming tools are really wonderful for kids who are quick to anger or have a difficult time calming down when upset. In my post about tips for helping an angry child calm down, I added an infographic at the end with some ways kids can calm down anywhere, those tools were so popular I wanted to write a bit more about them, and offer you the opportunity to print them in a mini social story book for kids.

These 8 ways kids can calm down anywhere are great tools for helping kids when upset. Grab the printable mini book so that kids really can do these anywhere!

8 Ways Kids Can Calm Down Anywhere

There are so many wonderful ways that kids can calm down when upset. From sensory breaks, brain breaks, yoga, etc., but often there are times that kids need help calming down outside of the home, or in a situation where such opportunities are not available. These calming tools allow for kids to calm down anywhere, in the car, or even in a crowd. 

Here are 8 simple ways kids can calm down anywhere:

Count to 5.  Counting is a really great way to help kids slow their breathing down, and can ground them. If really upset, a child might need to do this multiple times.

Take a deep breath. Taking a few deep breaths can be so relaxing for kids, and can also help slow their heart rate down.

Blow into your hands.  Blowing into hands gives kids the feedback of what deep breathing feels like physically, and can be a really calming process.

Place hands in pockets. When kids have a difficult time keeping their hands calm when upset, placing their hands in their pockets, or sitting on them, can give them an alternative to aggression.

Notice what your body feels like. In the infographic, I wrote ‘notice antecedents to behavior’ which is great for parents to do, but is also important for kids to begin to do. This is a fancy way of saying ‘notice what comes first’. By recognizing what happens in your body when upset  (such as a racing heart, sweaty hands, etc) kids can learn these cues and practice their calming tools before becoming too upset.

Make a fist, then relax the hands.  This is another great feedback exercise, where kids have a way of feeling pressure and then practicing muscle relaxation. It is also another great alternative for kids who turn to aggression when upset.

Relax the muscles in your body. On the infographic, this is ‘do a body scan’. Help kids learn to start at the top of their body and work down, purposefully relaxing all of the muscles they can think about and focus on.

Ask for a hug. Hugging is a really powerful calming tool, and can go a long way towards making kids feel better.

Find the infographic to print here.

printable-calm-down-poster

What are Social Stories?

These 8 ways kids can calm down anywhere are great tools for helping kids when upset. Grab the printable mini book so that kids really can do these anywhere!

Social stories are social learning tools typically used to help individuals with Autism understand how to act or react in a variety of situations. While incredibly useful for this purpose, they can also be used for typically developing children to help them deal with a number of situations as well, and are great for helping calm down anywhere. 

This printable mini book is a great tool for parents and kids. You can print this, fold the one sheet into a mini book, and keep it with you to use in any situation. I know for my spirited boy, these tools are very helpful, and this book is perfect to keep in the calm down kit in our calming corner.

 

 

*An important tip to remember, is that when using social stories, it is important to read and practice them when the child is calm, and when they don’t need them. This ensures that in the ‘heat of the moment’, your child won’t have to learn these, they will instead have them in their back pocket. 

Watch this video to see how to fold your book.

 

Get Your Printable Mini Book

These 8 ways kids can calm down anywhere are great tools for helping kids when upset. Grab the printable mini book so that kids really can do these anywhere!

Sign up to gain access to our exclusive content, which includes your mini calming tools book download! 

 

P.S. This is one of the many resources in the Positive Parenting Bundle available for 90% off for a limited. The bundle includes 3 incredible courses for parenting peacefully and positively and  managing emotions, along with many other ebooks and printables. You won’t want to miss it.

 


 Pin this!

calm down anywhere infographic


 

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Related

21 Comments
Filed Under: Gentle Parenting, Motherhood, Parenting, Uncategorized Tagged: angry child, calm down anywhere, calm down tools, explosive child

Comments

  1. Patricia Gil says

    April 14, 2017 at 9:22 am

    Thanks for having this tools abaleble, your tecnik is very healpful for me.

    Reply
  2. Sabina says

    May 26, 2017 at 5:01 am

    Hello, I am trying to suscribe to get the printable but the email doesn’t arrive 🙁

    Reply
    • kchiavarone says

      May 26, 2017 at 10:01 am

      If you want to send me an email at katie@viewsfromastepstool.com I can send it to you 🙂

      Reply
  3. Marie says

    June 21, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    I subscribed in order to get the mini calming book as a free printable as promised but that printable is not included in the free parenting tips you sent me. There is a link to a calming tips page but it’s not free. Could you please send me the free booklet? Thanks!

    Reply
    • kchiavarone says

      June 21, 2017 at 2:49 pm

      So sorry about that! Can you email me at katie@viewsfromastepstool.com so that I can send it to you?

      Reply
  4. Heather Sayler says

    July 19, 2017 at 4:20 pm

    Could you send me a copy of the book? I signed up for emails, but did not get the confirmation. Thanks!

    Reply
  5. Luella says

    July 20, 2017 at 11:32 am

    I subscribed so that I print out the mini book. But I am not able to access it. Nothing happens when I click on it.

    Reply
  6. Alanna says

    September 1, 2017 at 2:32 am

    Hi there,

    I am trying to subscribe and the downloads will not work. Is there a a way round this?

    Thank you,

    Alanna

    Reply
  7. Em says

    September 11, 2017 at 3:09 pm

    I used your mini book this week with a client and it made a huge difference! Thank you for sharing it and making it available!!

    Reply
    • kchiavarone says

      September 11, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      This brought tears to my eyes ❤️ thank you so much for sharing

      Reply
  8. daily proxy says

    September 25, 2017 at 10:27 pm

    What’s up,I check your blog named “8 Ways Kids Can Calm Down Anywhere PLUS a Printable Mini Book” on a regular basis.Your humoristic style is awesome, keep up the good work! And you can look our website about daily proxy.

    Reply
  9. alla says

    October 15, 2017 at 8:27 am

    Hi, I subscribed but was unable to download this book.

    Reply
  10. Andrew says

    October 15, 2017 at 9:11 pm

    Hi,

    Thanks for the great resorce (mini book). Unfortunately, the video on how to fold the boook doesn’t work. Could you please email me the instructions?

    Regards
    Andrew

    Reply
  11. leigh donoghue says

    October 16, 2017 at 5:29 pm

    could you please email me the booklet- the link is not working
    leigh.donoghue@bigpond.com

    Reply
  12. Natasha says

    October 24, 2017 at 10:06 pm

    Hello,
    I subscribed and did not receive the email or e book. Can you please send it?

    Reply
  13. Christine Nicklos says

    April 23, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Hello, I have subscribed but am unable to get the Calm Down Mini Book, is it not available anymore?

    Reply
  14. Michelle says

    March 19, 2019 at 5:13 pm

    Hi. I subscribed but didn’t receive an email. I would love this resource. Please can you help me. 🙂

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 8 Ways kids can calm down anywhere – colourwheelarttherapy says:
    June 14, 2017 at 10:42 pm

    […] http://themommyview.viewsfromastepstool.com/index.php/2017/04/03/calm-down-anywhere/ […]

    Reply
  2. Calm Down Kit for Older Children; Developing Emotional Self-Regulation • Mosswood Connections says:
    July 6, 2017 at 4:16 pm

    […] Mommy View has a fabulous printable Calm Down Book that would be a great addition to this […]

    Reply
  3. Why There's No Such Thing as A Fake Cry - The Mommy View says:
    August 11, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    […] or modeling ways to express emotions are a great way to do this. Additionally, in using calming tools, we can have our kids try these, and can then ask questions to get to the root of the issue, or the […]

    Reply
  4. Mindfulness Make-and-Take – The Kelly School Communique says:
    November 29, 2017 at 1:28 pm

    […] with Meghan or Lisa … and let’s start sharing those great ideas! (Like easy-to-make calm-down mini-books, favorite calming images, calming-breath visuals, various awesome calm-down bottles (Lego […]

    Reply

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Thanks so much for joining me here! I am a mommy to three, a work from home mom, and lover of play. I believe in gentle and positive parenting and a strong foundation at home.

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