Six Best Ways To Calm Kids Down
- person Gary Tramer
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Many children have boundless energy that seems to follow them throughout every aspect of their day. This is an enviable and helpful trait when it comes to playtime and exercise.
But, there are times that being hyper is not necessarily the best possible state of mind. For instance, when recess has ended and it is now time to get back into learning mode, a quiet focus would be far better.
Then, we all dread those specific nights where it is well past bedtime for our kids, and it is perhaps approaching our own bedtime as well. We have tried everything to get them ready to go to sleep. Every available story has been read, our voices strained from singing every lullaby we can think of, and the warm milk has long since gone room temperature.
Sometimes, children have trouble regulating their energy, and it is our responsibility as parents to help them through the process. Although it can at times seem like our kids’ hyper episodes can’t be tamed, this is not the case.
By following certain tips and tricks, it is absolutely possible to help them reach a state of more productive zen that both you and their teachers will appreciate while also being better for our kids in the long run.
Why Is It Important To Be Able To Calm Our Kids Down?
It is certainly true that an abundance of energy and enthusiasm is part of what makes being a kid so great. That energetic innocence allows them to bring their all to each and every activity, which is something that we as adults should try to emulate. While that hyper energy is great in some circumstances, that is not always the case.
As we mentioned, most school situations other than gym class and recess are best faced with a reserved concentration. In these situations, our children should be energetic in the sense that they are ready to learn and absorb information.
At the same time, they will hopefully be confident and alert enough to ask any and all questions should they arise.
Energy and Emotions
This energy can also easily manifest in somewhat overblown emotional reactions. Of course, this will be more noticeable in some children than others. If your child is prone to temper tantrums or other difficulties when feeling intense emotions, it may just mean that they need a bit of assistance.
This assistance will most likely come in the form of learning how to regulate their feelings as they happen. Self-regulation tactics can prevent them from being overcome with emotions to the point they inevitably lose control.
Calming our kids down is largely about learning how to harness their fun-loving energy in ways that benefit everyone involved. Luckily, there are a few ways to do that, and they are reflected in these tips and tricks.
These tips fall into two important key categories. The first is steps that can be taken in the moment to help our children calm down. The second is suggestions that can be implemented ahead of time, or as part of a steady and consistent routine. These proactive tricks will help to minimize instances of unproductive energy from happening in the first place.
Introduce a Natural Calming Aid
When our kids are feeling especially on edge, it can be a profoundly helpful practice to give them something natural to help them calm down. This is where The Natural Patch Co. comes in.
The ZenPatch uses a delightful and soothing blend of essential oils to help both kids and adults calm down naturally. With a mixture of mandarin, sweet orange, atlas cedarwood, lavender, and vetiver essential oils, your child is sure to be on the road to zen.
Help Them Understand Their Feelings
One of the most important skills that we can help our children to have in their emotional regulation toolbelt is to understand what they are feeling. Without that understanding, emotions can be extra overwhelming and possibly scary, leading to a more intense reaction. Instead, it is best to thoughtfully discuss possible feelings with our kids.
This conversation is likely best outside the heat of the moment. While a tantrum or emotionally explosive moment is happening, it can be difficult to reason with our children and explain things to them, but we will touch on that more later. Anyway, ask your child what they are feeling, and give them the language to express themselves in a healthy way.
Many tantrums occur as a result of a mixture of several difficult emotions. For one, there are the initial stimuli that make them flustered or anxious. Then, there is the possibility that the lack of being able to accurately convey what they are feeling is just making things worse.
However, if our kids are equipped with the words and concepts they need to tell us what is going on, they may feel heard much quicker, resulting in a shorter reaction.
Model Appropriate Behavior for Them
There are a variety of methods we can employ to teach our kids about their feelings and how they should be handled. Though one of the most effective ones is certainly to have a frank and honest conversation with them, kids can be incredibly perceptive. This works substantially in our favor when it comes to this next suggestion.
Children watch almost everything their parents do, meaning that many moments with them can become learning experiences. Even interactions that are not necessarily directly with them can still have a real impact. For example, if you are speaking with your rudest neighbor on the phone, emotions may be running high.
Our first instinct can be to get frustrated, but that will be noted by our kids and could inform their behavior in the future. Instead, voice your issues clearly and non-confrontationally.
Your child will likely absorb this information like a sponge and be much better at explaining their feelings in the future. Then, there is also the added benefit that you are much more likely to see a good result, and the customer service representative can help you without any extra stress.
Take Them To Get Some Exercise
This tip is an incredibly helpful one for any kind of overabundance of energy in kids. Whether your child is having trouble focusing in school or if you want to make sure they will get a full night of rest tonight, going out for a walk, playing catch, or kicking around a soccer ball can be seriously helpful.
Being Rational Might Not Help (for Now)
Think about when we are upset. Chances are, even if we might start from a place of logic and rationality, that goes more or less out the window after a while. Even the most rational of us will occasionally be overtaken by our feelings. This can sometimes be a difficult hole to climb our way out of.
While we may have a solid toolbelt of emotional regulation strategies that we have accumulated over a lifetime of strong feelings, there are still times when it all feels like too much.
What gets us through is knowing there will be brighter days and moments ahead, but that does not mean we are necessarily the most level-headed in the moment when emotions are so high.
Oftentimes, being approached with a rational argument or discussion while feeling intense emotions only makes the emotional reaction more severe. This is because we do not feel heard and understood, leading to significant frustration.
This is possibly more true for our kids. When they are coming from a place of pure emotion and frustration, trying to approach them from a rational standpoint is likely not a helpful tactic.
Instead, it will just make them feel like they are not being listened to. It is a much better strategy to help them acknowledge their feelings in the moment, rather than telling them logically why they should not be upset.
Then, after they have settled, the issue can be revisited delicately. At that point, logic can be introduced to explore why they felt so upset, and why that is not the best reaction for them to have in the future.
Know How Your Child Reacts To Different Strategies
All of our kids are different, and that is what makes them so wonderful. It also means that some strategies may work better, worse, or not at all for certain kids. Some children may react well to being talked down during a tantrum.
Meanwhile, others may only get more frustrated as you try to assuage them. Know your child and what helps, or possibly more importantly, what does not.
Peace and Quiet Is Possible
There are times that we may be jealous of our kids’ incredible capacity for energy. After lunch, when the midday blues set in or during an especially dull Zoom meeting, we could all use a little of their pizzaz and zest for life.
That being said, all of that energy does come with some distinct drawbacks. By helping our children learn to regulate their emotions, we are helping them in the moment, for sure.
We are also giving them skills that will help them throughout their lives and go on to have their own adventures.
Sources:
10 Best Essential Oils for Stress in 2021 | Healthline
