Calming Strategies for Kids

The world is a big place, with seemingly endless stimulants. And that’s just for adults! 

Today’s children are exposed to unending changes, in addition to the traditional challenges that come with being a kid. If we find ourselves getting overwhelmed, it’s no wonder they get overpowered by emotion sometimes. As caregivers, we want to give them the best tools to manage their feelings when they are spiraling. 

Read on to discover practical tips to help your child when they need help recentering themselves.

Grounding Strategies for Kids 

Grounding helps a child to refocus when they are experiencing big feelings or emotions. It lets them clear their mind by allowing them to focus on something other than the powerful emotion that is trying to take control. Try Rainbow Grounding by looking around the room and finding one thing that is red, orange, yellow, blue, green, and then purple. Repeat as needed until your child is calm. 

Five Senses Grounding is also effective when a child can name one thing (or more!) that they can see, smell, taste, hear and feel. If they are younger, help guide them through it: “I smell the salt air, I feel the sand on my toes.”   

Reducing Screentime

Ah screentime, always a hot topic in the parenting community. Reducing screentime can aid when a child needs help with calming strategies. Studies have shown that decreasing screen time can improve focus which helps to regulate big feelings. Children become better at creating social connections with reduced screen time, thus boosting their serotonin.

Breathing Practices 

Breathing practices are another way of regulating the physical components to help your child find their calm. Balloon belly breathing is a simple but effective way to stabilize your child’s breathing if they’re overwhelmed. Show them how to place their hand on their belly, and as they breathe in slowly, their belly fills like a balloon. Encourage them to breathe out slowly and imagine their worries floating away. 

Identify Feelings

Naming what they’re feeling helps a child understand what it is that’s going on inside, and helps to pinpoint why they’re feeling that way. Encourage them to say “I am feeling (happy/sad/nervous) because (I got a new toy/I had to say goodbye to a friend/I am trying a new activity). Ask them where they feel it in their bodies so they can help identify their feelings when they come up again, eg. “I am angry and my face feels hot.” 

Be Active

Physical activity is a way to help calm children by allowing them to concentrate on their physicality, instead of their emotions. Some of our favorite ways to get active are:

• Hiking Torrey Pines

• Strolling through the zen environment of the Japanese Friendship Garden

• Walk through and name the colors at San Diego Botanical Garden

• Hike Bayside Trail for a view of the ocean

• Snorkel at La Jolla Cove

Enjoy the San Diego Weather

We are so fortunate to live in an area with gorgeous sunshine and clear blue skies. Vitamin D from the sun’s rays helps to regulate moods, kiddos included! It is also another great way to make sensory identifications when using grounding strategies. Encourage your child to feel the warmth on their skin, the shadows that sunshine creates, and anything else you think will pique your child’s interest.