How to Help Your Kid Calm Down
Help them Lower their Level of Arousal Help them Choose to Focus on Something Else
Help them Lower their Level of Arousal Help them Choose to Focus on Something Else
I like to think of strong bedtime routines as being like a Music Box: they start out brisk and engaging, and then they start getting slower, and slower…and slower…until that little ballerina comes to her inevitable halt. Children are experts at giving extra turns to the music box key! Younger toddlers might run away, hide …
Dear Faith, My son is three and he still struggles with hitting and rough touching. Mostly not being aggressive, it’s like he doesn’t realize that he’s hurting people. When we correct him, he often sticks his tongue out and makes a spitting sound, or runs and hides. Sometimes he will stop but other times he just …
Dear Faith, I have an intense, energetic little boy who is almost 3. I just don’t know what to do when we are playing with other children and he pushes a child down repeatedly, or bites or hits. It often co-incides with being hungry, thirsty, tired or needing a diaper change, but I usually try to …
Dear Faith, My 4yo twins have recently started preschool and they come home very tired each day. Do you have some suggestions for a peaceful afternoon routine that would help us reconnect and give them some down time? I have a 7-month-old as well so I can’t be with them every moment. I’m trying to …
Dear Faith, I enjoyed your post on children getting overstimulated, but wonder if you could talk a bit about older children. My oldest daughter is 4.5 and while she doesn’t get aggressive with other kids, she seems to get overstimulated even with just one other child on play dates, or sometimes even just with me, …
Dear Faith, My question is about my 23 month old and how lately she seems to be spooked by a lot of different things. We have recently welcomed a new baby to the house, but overall she’s really done well with the baby. So I’m not sure if this recent behaviour is because of our …
Dear Faith, I’ve found your blog to be helpful, but I feel like my kids are too young for most of your advice and techniques. I have 15 month old twin boys, and lately they’ve been totally INSANE! They come out from naptime, and start pulling all the books off the shelves, everything out of …
Dear Faith, My three year old is having such a hard time lately, acting antagonistic towards his baby brothers, and no amount of helping him or punishing him is seeming to work. I’ve tried everything I can think of and I’m at a loss…It seems like he has lots of opportunities to get his big …
Hello, My question is about my 20 month old and sleep. My daughter usually takes several hours to get to sleep no matter what. I really feel she doesn’t get enough sleep, and she is often exhausted but cannot seem to stop wiggling. She has always had a great deal of trouble sleeping, she is …
Lavender Foot-Baths When I am in full health, and have gotten enough sleep, I LOVE my time with children. But when I don’t get enough sleep, or I have a headache, or a cold, or medicine is making me groggy, the amount of energy it takes to care for children just seems beyond my capabilities. …
Dear Faith, I have two daughters, four-and-a-half and two-and-a-half. Whenever my littler one takes something, or ‘hurts’ my older daughter she is very dramatic in her response. She makes it seem like it’s the end of the world! Any suggestions for being compassionate, but not encouraging such a reaction? Is there any way to discourage …