Coping Skills for Kids

How to Create a Calm Down Spot

How to Create a Calm Down Spot

“ARGH!” Eddie, your 6 year old, yells in frustration for the third time in 30 minutes.

Maybe he didn't get enough sleep last night. Maybe his allergies are acting up and he's more on edge. Maybe it's the middle of school vacation week and he's irritated with his sister. Or maybe it's all three. Whatever the reason, he needs to calm down. What can you do to help your son? You can create a calm down spot in your own home.

Coping Skill Spotlight: 5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Technique

Coping Skill Spotlight: 5 4 3 2 1 Grounding Technique

This technique will take you through your five senses to help remind you of the present. This is a calming technique that can help you get through tough or stressful situations. Take a deep belly breath to begin.

Book Review: Bloom

Book Review: Bloom

Before I had children, I thought I would be pretty well equipped to deal with any issue that came my way. I was a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and had some experience working with some pretty challenging students.

 

Then I had my daughter, followed two years later by my son. And I realized just how incredibly challenging parenting is. Parenting is HARD work. It’s stressful and overwhelming. Some days you want to quit, but you can’t. And you don’t always know which way to go. It can feel lonely and you can feel like a failure.

Coping Skill Spotlight: Using a Worry Box

Coping Skill Spotlight: Using a Worry Box

Sometimes, to really help deal with stress, you need to take some focused time to think and talk about your worries. However, it’s helpful to limit the amount of time that you are dwelling on these thoughts. You don’t want to be thinking about it constantly. Using a worry box is a good way to help manage stressful feelings.

Homemade Stress Balls

Homemade Stress Balls

Did you know that you can make your own stress balls? There are 3 different ways I’ve made stress balls. All of them use balloons, but I used 3 different materials to see how each one would feel: flour, rice and play dough. Each of them feels different and you can have your children try them all to see which one they like the most.

Coping Skill Spotlight: Imagine Your Favorite Place

Coping Skill Spotlight: Imagine Your Favorite Place

Sometimes all you want to do is run away when you’re faced with a tough or stressful situation. However, you can’t really run away and escape. What you can do is pretend. Your imagination is a powerful tool you can use anywhere to help you calm down and relax.

10 Coping Skills to Help Kids Calm Down

10 Coping Skills to Help Kids Calm Down

As a school counselor, I often had kids come into my office in a heightened state, and it was my job to be able to help them calm down and get back to work in class. I had lots of items in my room to help achieve that. It’s always easier for kids to talk about what’s bothering them when they’re doing another activity or playing a game. As a mom, I know that there are lots of things that can help my kids reset when they are having a hard time, or getting into arguments or just have on their cranky pants. Here are some of my favorite items to help kids calm down.

Using Music as a Coping Skill

Using Music as a Coping Skill

Has a song ever filled you with happiness and joy so that you can’t help but sing and dance?

Have you ever had strong memories come flooding back when you hear a certain song?

Have you ever cried when listening to a piece of music?

You have experienced the power of music.

The Value of Movement

The Value of Movement

Have you ever been at a busy playground surrounded by children moving in all sorts of different directions? As a mom of two, I often find myself there. And every time, it always strikes me as beautiful chaos. The cacophony of voices and the constant movement. All you see is children running, almost in a blur.

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