This activity could be for a parent and child to do together, or for the whole family to do as a group. The activity is creating a calm and quiet space in the home or in the child’s room where they can go to calm down alone whenever they are having big feelings. 

If the space is outside of the child’s room, then you can make the space somewhere that all family members can go if they need to calm down. By making a quiet space for everyone to use, parents can model balancing their own emotions for kids. 

To start the activity, gather together and explain to the child how sometimes it can be difficult to calm down from upsetting emotions. You can talk about how sometimes the best way to calm down is to be quiet and take some time alone to rest in a special place. 

Together with your child, find a space in your home that doesn’t typically have foot traffic and is quieter than other areas. Once you find a good quiet place, ask your child to hunt around the house for items that can go in that space to help them calm down. These can be items that are comforting and solitary for them to do when they are upset.