Kristen Hale, mother of two young boys and regular contributor here at 5 Minutes for Mom, has some helpful tips for calming a child during a meltdown. We want to thank our sponsor Calm Down Companions for providing a fantastic prize for one of you.
It all started with a haircut.
I went to pick up my 3-year old son from preschool after getting my hair cut, and his response to my new bangs wasn’t a good one. There was wailing, screaming, crying – a really solid toddler meltdown, in front of all his teachers and classmates. I wouldn’t usually be embarrassed by his shenanigans, but when he started smacking the bangs on my forehead yelling, “I don’t like that, Mommy! I don’t like your hair like that!”, well, then even I got a bit sweaty and ruddy-cheeked.
Thankfully, I had stashed our Tranquil Teddy in the back seat of the car. I walked (practically dragged) my traumatized son to the car, plopped him in his car seat, and quickly handed him his stuffed teddy bear. Within 90 seconds, my son had completely calmed down, had finished crying and was quietly sucking his thumb while hugging his bear.
And get this – he was taking deep breaths, just like we had taught him with his Calm Down Companion, Tranquil Teddy.
What is a Calm Down Companion?
Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy are specially designed plush toys to help soothe a child during an emotionally stressful or difficult episode.
In moments of a tantrum or outburst, children are encouraged to take a “positive pawz” and focus on the calming elements of their Calm Down Companion. Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy can be with them at home or on the go. Visits to the doctor’s office, new schools and traveling can be much better with a Calm Down Companion in tow.
How Does it Work?
The Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy are comforting plush stuffed animals consisting of super soft fur and an illuminated LED light within a specialized, slow-falling glitter ball. The slow falling glitter gives your child an opportunity to take deep breaths while focusing on something that is naturally calming, watching the glitter as it swirls around and falls for a duration of approximately one minute and fifteen seconds. This time allows the child to regain control over their breathing pattern and come out of “fight or flight” mode and back into a calm state of mind.
The Calm Down Companion is also perfect for getting your child to sleep. The soft LED light (which can be set to a timer to turn off), gives your child the comfort they seek, even in the middle of the night.
A Good Cause.
While the Tranquil Teddy was borne out of the need to soothe a child, the second companion, Peaceful Puppy, was created with an extra special child in mind. The ChadTough charity is an organization honoring the loss of an amazing little boy who suffered Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare incurable brain cancer. With the intention of spreading awareness and raising funds, Peaceful Puppy was created with the help of Chad’s mother in likeness of his two puppies, who helped him through his difficult treatments. For every Peaceful Puppy purchased, a portion of the proceeds are donated back to the ChadTough charity to help raise money to find a cure for DIPG.
If you’re looking for a way to calm your toddler or preschooler down during a tantrum or major meltdown, look no further:
4 Tips For Calming Your Child During A Meltdown
- Acknowledge your toddler’s feelings and wishes.
As a parent, you can validate your child’s feelings without condoning an action. You can do this without agreeing with them or giving in to their behavior, but simply listening.
- Distract from the issue.
When toddlers are having a meltdown, the quicker you can distract them from it, the better. Young children aren’t rational, so instead of explaining your rationale to them when they aren’t in a state to listen, it helps to distract the child. Moving to a different location or handing them an item of comfort is a way to distract them from their meltdown. This is a great time to give them a toy like the Tranquil Teddy or Peaceful Puppy.
- Teach them to take some deep breaths.
Deep breathing can help calm your toddler down. Coupled with their favorite comfort toy and your listening ear, this is the final step that can help your child relax again.
- Talk it out.
Once your toddler is calm, you can take a moment to discuss why they were feeling upset. This is also where the parent can share their own feelings on the matter, like when I told my son, “It hurt my feelings when told me you didn’t like my bangs.” My son was much more apt to understand me and discuss it with me once he felt loved, safe and understood.
Learn more about the Calm Down Companions:
www.calmdowncompanion.com |Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Giveaway
If you’d like to win Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy, please leave us a comment sharing your own stories or tips about calming your children’s tantrums or tell us why you’d like to win these Calm Down Companions.
Then complete your entry using the entry form below.
Sorry to our Canadian friends, this giveaway is open to the US only.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Kristen Hale, who blogs about living a playful and intentional life at Oy!
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