Teach Those Coping Skills!
There are lots of ways we can teach our toddlers to cope. And remember!
Coping skills are best taught in a calm moment, rather than an emotionally
heightened state - ie, mid-tantrum or meltdown is NOT the time to teach
coping skills.
Take a look at this list of coping skills and find the ones that fit your toddler’s
needs and personality best at this time. And remember: Your child may not
be able to access these tools IN THE MOMENT until 4 years of age. But DO
start introducing coping techniques early. Teaching and practicing coping tools
early in development, during the calm moments, will build a healthy emotional
foundation and make these tools easier to grasp as they continue to grow!
DEEP BREATHING
Slow, deep breathing releases GABA in the brain - a chemical that leads to
relaxation and a feeling of safety and courage. Taking a deep breath is a great
way to release and reset in a frustrating or stressful moment!
+ Bunny breath
+ Smell the flower
+ Lion breath
+ Dragon breath
+ Blow bubbles
Think of a breath your little one would like! Spider man? Moo like a cow?
Anything to help them pause and breathe. As you encourage them to take
a slow breath, say phrases like, “When big feelings come, like feeling mad
or scared, we can take a BIG breath to feel better” and “If we feel like hitting,
first we can take a big lion breath to let the anger out.” You’re wiring their
minds and brains to cope in the future!
PHYSICAL RELEASE
Help your little one channel his or her aggressive energy and physical urges
into something safe!
+ Hit a pillow
+ Stomp feet
+ Jumping jacks
+ Bounce a ball
+ Tense/release exercise
© KD Creatives 2020 for Big Little Feelings
CREATIVE RELEASE
Show your toddler how to use creativity and art outlets for expressing
feelings and needs. You can even encourage them to tell the story of their
emotions around age 3!
+ Angry chalk: Designate a specific color or set of chalk as
their “angry chalk” that they can use any time they feel upset
+ Feelings painting or drawing
+ Create a story about the feelings
+ Build something that represents the feelings using blocks,
popsicle sticks, or any other items laying around
+ Use animals and toys to play out the feelings
SENSORY RELEASE
Tapping into the 5 senses can be a helpful pause from the action in an
emotionally charged moment, while also helping your little one’s body
feel more relaxed!
+ Smell something pleasant, like an essential oil or a flower
+ Squish something, like putty or playdough
+ Listen to noises around you, like birds chirping or cars driving by
+ Drink some water
NATURE
Nature can be one of the most settling and restorative resources for our
kids. Here are some ways to enjoy nature and build coping skills!
+ Take a “rainbow walk,” finding something red, then something orange,
then yellow, green, blue, and purple as you complete the rainbow
+ Take a nature walk, finding little treasures, special sticks, rocks to bring
home and paint
HELPFUL WORDS
Help them find the words that describe what they were feeling or trying
to express through their actions, so that once older, these phrases are
much easier to grasp and use in the moment!
+ “I wasn’t done with that!”
+ “Mama, I need help.”
+ “I feel sad.”
+ “I didn’t like that.”
+ “I feel mad.”
+ “Mama, I need a hug.”
+ “That wasn’t OK with me.”
© KD Creatives 2020 for Big Little Feelings
