How do you feel when your child has a meltdown? You probably do everything you can think of to help them, but absolutely nothing works. It could be in the store checkout line, at bedtime, the second you walk in your friend’s house or at a birthday party. You may find yourself at wits’ end and literally on the verge of having your own meltdown. .
There probably isn’t a parent on the planet who can’t relate to this experience. Your blood pressure goes up and you can feel everyone watching you. So you reach into the recesses of all you know about good parenting in an attempt to use something you’ve learned, but your child is inconsolable. What now?
Before you judge yourself too harshly, know that you are not alone. There is nothing worse, no matter how old you are, than feeling out of control. Children have meltdowns. But guess what? Sometimes adults do, too.
Christie Burnett, editor of Childhood 101, a website dedicated to helping child-rearing parents, encourages parents to consider developing a “Calm Down Plan” to help children cope when their emotions overwhelm them. These steps can help them when they are upset or feel out of control.
Here are her “5 Steps to Managing Big Emotions”: