My son is prone to meltdowns. If you've never experienced a meltdown just imagine a tantrum turned up a few notches.
He has trouble calming down. What we got into doing was handing him a bottle...instant calm. However, at 2.5 this isn't an option anymore. *sigh*
His therapists suggested having him BLOW when he needs to calm down. It's so simple but makes perfect sense...it combines deep breathing and focus.
While he was calm, I had him blow my fingers. We played with it and made it fun...shaking our heads as we blew and making noises.
So...the next time he got upset I let him have a moment of "upset time" and then put my hand out and said "Blow my fingers." AND HE DID!
Now, a few days after starting this technique, he'll ASK to "blow fingers" when he gets upset. He knows it helps him calm down! I've also started telling him that he can blow on his fingers as well...so he can calm down when Mommy and Daddy can't get there immediately.
That's my parenting advice for the day!
