There are many ways you can calm your child.
It is essential for parents to understand that every child is different. If you want your child to self-regulate, you may need to experiment a bit. Every child has stressors in their lives. Whether it social interactions in general or a trip to the doctor, it is important for children to have ways to help them relax when stressful situations arise. Here are four types of calming activities that can help your child.
Sensory Hideouts
Sometimes, children need a safe place to go to get away from the troubles of the world. Whenever children are feeling stressed and overwhelmed, they can go to this place to calm themselves down. You can quickly prepare a sensory hideout by pitching a small tent or draping a blanket over a table or chairs. You can place oft cushions in the area to help them further relax. A great thing about sensory hideouts is that they can be created in a moments notice.
Proprioceptive Activities
This category can be described as activities that stimulate a child’s muscles and joints. This could be as simple as going for a walk. This could also just mean gently rubbing your child’s back.
Vestibular Activities
Examples of vestibular activities include jumping on a trampoline, swinging back and forth on a swing, or walking on a balance beam, These kinds of activities exercise a child’s balance and help to take the child’s mind off what they were stressed about.
Deep Pressure Activities
Sometimes, children just need to be held by their parents. Deep pressure activities stimulate the proprioception and tactile sense. An example of such include bear hugs. If you have found that deep pressure activities help your child, a weighted blanket may be a nice investment.
The Connections Therapy Center
The Connections Therapy Center serves families of children and adolescents with disabilities and special needs. We are a team of experts in the fields of pediatric speech, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, and behavioral sciences. As a team, we offer intensive hands-on therapy for children and adolescents, as well as informative and useful resources for families. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do to help your family, visit us online or give us a call at (202) 561-1110 (Washington, D.C. office) or (301) 577-4333 (Lanham office). Want to get more information on how to help your child thrive? Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest.