Do you sometimes feel like you’re at your wit’s end when it comes to dealing with your child? Are you looking for simple tips to calm your children down instantly? In this article, I’m going to share 9 simple parenting tips that will help take the stress out of parenting and make life easier.

9 Simple Parenting Tips That Will Help Calm Down Your Child Instantly

1. Stay Calm Yourself

The first and most important tip that I can give you is to stay calm. Parents are often so quick to react to their child’s tantrums, outbursts, and high energy, but this only worsens the situation. If you’re feeling frazzled, take a few deep breaths and try to relax. This will help you stay calm and collected, and it will be much easier to help calm your child.

2. Model Emotional Regulation

If you want your child to be able to calm down, you need to model emotional regulation yourself.

You may say to your child calmly, “when your voice is like mine, then we can continue talking about this.”

Children learn by watching and imitating those around them, so it’s important to set a good example. When you’re feeling angry or frustrated, take a step back and breathe deeply before responding. This will help your child see that it’s possible to regulate their emotions, even when upset.

3. Don’t Tell Your Child How They Should Feel Or Act

Telling your child how they should feel or act will make them more upset. It’s important to validate their emotions and let them know it’s okay to feel the way they do.

For example, you might say, “I can see that you’re feeling really angry right now. Being angry is okay, but I can’t allow you to hit.

What can you do instead?”

4. Help Them Put Their Feelings Into Words

If your child is having trouble communicating how they’re feeling, help them to put their feelings into words. This will help them to understand and process their emotions.

You might say, “It sounds like you’re feeling really mad right now. Is that how you’re feeling?”

Or if your child seems to be bouncing off the walls and won’t sit still or calm down. You can help them put this energy they are feeling into words and help brainstorm activities they can do to help get their energy out.

5. Give Your Child A Minute

It’s okay and healthy for children to feel what they feel. So give them a minute to ride the wave of emotions so they can move on with their day. 

If your child is throwing a tantrum, don’t try to stop or distract them immediately. If you need to move with your child to a more private place, do so until they have calmed down. Just let them know you’re there for them and give them a minute to calm down. Once they can calm down, they will be much happier afterward.

6. Practice Empathy And Reflective Listening

Empathy is understanding and sharing the feelings of another person. Reflective listening is repeating what you heard the other person say to ensure understanding.

Both of these skills are important when trying to calm down a child. Try to see things from their perspective and understand how they’re feeling. This will help you respond in a helpful and calming way.

Then, use reflective listening to let them know you understand what they’re saying. This will help them feel heard and understood, which can be very soothing.

7. Use The Palming Technique

Cassie from the channel Cassie Stephens teaches a wonderful calming technique called Palming. This can be an excellent method to help relax and wind down your child’s high every so they will listen. Here is the palming technique

Start by having your child touch the tip of their thumbs together. Then have your child place their palms together and slowly start rubbing them together. 

Tell your child that when you count to 2, have them start rubbing their hands together a little faster.

Then let your child know that when you count to three, they will take the palm of their hands, gently place it on their eyes, and have their hand on their head.

While your child has their hands on their eyes and head, in a very calm and mellow voice, tell them what you expect of them when they take their hands off their eyes and what will happen next.

8. Find A Calming Activity That Works For Your Child

There are many different calming activities that you can do with your child. Find one that works for them and that they enjoy. The key is finding an activity to help your child focus on something other than what makes them upset.

Here are some possible Calming Activities:

1. Counting to five
2. Reading a book together
3. Hugging a stuffed animal
4. Drinking water
5. Coloring on paper
6. Writing their thoughts and emotions on a piece of paper
7. Blowing bubbles
8. Running
9. Jumping jacks

9. Brainstorm Solutions For Next Time

Once your child has calmed down, it’s a good idea to brainstorm solutions for next time. This will help your child feel empowered and in control the next time they are upset.

You might ask your child, “What do you think we could do next time you’re feeling upset like that?” Or “When you are feeling lots of energy, what do you think you can do to help calm your body down?”

Let them know that there are many different options and that it’s okay to try other things until they find something that works for them.

Encourage them to come up with as many ideas as possible and write them down so they can refer to the list next time they need it.

Conclusion

Calming a child down can be a challenge, but it is possible with these 9 simple parenting tips. Using some of these simple parenting tips can help your child to calm down and feel better quickly.

There is much more to parenting than we have covered in this article, such as how to set boundaries that stick, get your kids to listen without yelling, threatening, or punishing, and discipline your child, so they learn from their mistakes.

If you are looking for a place to learn step-by-step parenting tips and connect with other parents. Check out my Parenting Facebook Group Called Gentle Parenting Toddlers and Preschoolers.