Description

During a calm moment, you and your child make a small card together listing a few steps they can use when they feel angry, and practise it so it feels familiar before a hard moment arrives.

What to prep

• card
• crayons

Play guide

1. 1Choose a relaxed time to make this together, not during or right after a meltdown.
2. 2Talk with your child about what helps them feel calmer, such as taking slow breaths, squeezing a cushion, or walking to a quiet spot.
3. 3Let your child pick two or three steps they like and write or draw them on a card in their own order.
4. 4Practise the steps together now while calm, walking through them like a gentle rehearsal.
5. 5Put the card somewhere your child can reach it, and next time big feelings come, offer it as a choice rather than a command.