
How To Reassure Your Child During a Melt Down
Our children need us to be open to the intensity and the power of the feelings they are having. They need us to fully hear how hard it is.
Our children need us to be open to the intensity and the power of the feelings they are having. They need us to fully hear how hard it is.
I didn’t make him do it, but I didn’t give up on the idea that he COULD do it.
The Daddy was trying to talk his daughter out of the tantrum, but our teacher kept gently reminding him that this was exactly what his little girl needed to do, and that she was smart to work on her feelings so vigorously.
I just told them both that I was there for them and that it was okay to cry.
After dinner, I remembered the Hand in Hand idea of allowing “taboo” things during Special Time.
Our older son tore it out of his brother’s hands and said that he was playing with it.
I sensed that she was being triggered by the memory of her sister’s serious fall. I followed her to her room, where she was hiding in the closet. I went in there to do Staylistening, but she wouldn’t look at me and wasn’t communicative.
When one reasonable request doesn’t get through to our children, it’s time for an entirely new tactic. We propose the vigorous snuggle!
I was very proud of her transition, and I felt like Special Time had really smoothed things in a way that made us both very pleased.
She kept forcefully resisting me when I would try to get her lie her down on her changing pad.
Children need to feel their feelings and share them with a caring adult. And then they can relax and feel confident and safe.
Why was I plagued by thoughts of my less-than-ideal childhood when I should be enjoying my daughter’s happy one?
She took in my answer, and began to scream.
This helped me gain confidence in the notion that if I supportively stayed with my daughter while she struggled with negative emotions, she would come out to the other side of them…
He went on for a couple of minutes vividly explaining the scene to me.
My impression was that Joey was in need of having a huge cry to release his pent up feelings, but he couldn’t get to tears very easily since her was conditioned to repress them at home.
I was sorry she was scared, but I wanted to find a way to encourage her back into living her life without her Mommy-as-security-blanket.
This was the last straw–he had made plans to spend the evening with both of his best friends, and now we had spoiled the whole thing.