Looking for strategies to help your child regulate their body and mind at school? There are lots of really simple strategies we can teach our children to help them focus and manage better at school. Here are a few suggestions to try out:
WHEN I FEEL UPSET, SAD, DISTRACTED/UNFOCUSED at school I can….
- Squeeze a soft ball or tennis ball
- Push palms of hands together slowly and repeat 5 or 6 times (squeeze-hold-relax)
- Use a teacher approved fidget
- Push against the wall as hard as you can (wall push up) then relax your body
- Chair push up- Use your fingertips to hold up your body weight in your chair
- Think of 3 things you are grateful for
- Think of or write 3 positive things about your life
- Imagine a peaceful and calming place
- Breathing deeply- put all your attention on your breath
- Box Breathing: image yourself drawing an invisible box as you inhale and exhale with your breath.
- Count to 10 and back in coordination with slow breaths
- Stretch
- Drink Water
- Invent a secret handshake or code with my teacher that lets her know I need help
- Rest my head on the desk for a few moments while listening to relaxing music
- Visualize a person who supports you and cheers you on
- Ask for permission to go for a short walk or do a helping job to take something down to the office
- Zoom in on your senses: 1) Something you see; 2) something you smell; 3) something you hear, 4) Something you taste; 5) something you feel.
- Ask permission for a short body break where you can job in place or do some jumping jacks
- Journal or write a letter
- Give yourself or a stuffed animal a great big hug
- Change seats if there are different seating options- standing desk, wiggle cushion; balance ball; hokki stool, bean bag chair etc.
- Move away from the distraction or person who is distracting me
Photo by Ben Mullins on Unsplash
Practice these strategies at home with your child using role playing and try only a few at a time. Make sure to let the teacher know what you would like your child to try and ask for feedback on how it is working or not working.
Share with your child what things worked for you when you were a child and what works for your needs as an adult. For example, I find I work well listening to quiet instrumental music as opposed to complete silence. My son finds he needs quiet and has to use the strategy of moving away from noise or distraction.
Figuring out the route of the problem and the appropriate solution or self regulation strategy can be tricky. You have to ask yourself “is my child….under aroused?, over aroused?, sensory seeking? sensory avoiding? bored? frustrated?….. Talk to one of our pediatric therapists to help develop some solutions for success for your child.
