We recently took a family trip to Island Park (just outside of Yellowstone National Park). The boys had a blast and it was breathtakingly beautiful!
In case you are wondering, we didn’t commandeer a zebra from a zoo and take him camping with us …
Why Am I Talking About Zebras Then?
About a year ago I had a talk with my oldest son, Eli, about taking a deep breath when you get upset or frustrated to help you calm down.
Apparently he was listening because the next morning when I was watching a particularly touching video on YouTube and was bawling my eyes out, Eli came up to me with a look of deep concern and told me to “take a zebra.” By golly, it worked!
A Long, Long, LONG Drive Home …
So back to the camping story. After 5 days of camping fun, we embarked on our 7+ hour drive home. After about 4 hours my 2-year-old, Xander, decided he’d had enough of being strapped to his carseat and began politely and calmly telling us, “Mother dear, Father. I do believe that I am ready to get out of my seat now. Would you be so kind as to acquiesce and release me from this bondage?”
Okay, maybe it wasn’t quite like that. Actually, he screamed (or screeched rather) at the top of his lungs for the remaining 3 hours of the trip. It is sufficient to say that those were the longest three hours of my life!
What’s the Point?
There is more to this than just seeking sympathy for my poor eardrums. The really awesome part about this banshee-screeching fit was that Xander calmed himself down. How did he do it?
Well, after 3 hours, I suppose he realized that screaming wasn’t getting him out of the carseat. I heard his little voice (that amazingly still wasn’t hoarse after all that abuse) say, “I’m going to take a zebra, Mommy.”
He took a couple “zebras” and was all done crying. The storm had passed.
Kids are Always Listening
Even in passing, even when they look totally distracted they are listening and watching. They are like the Energizer Bunny for learning.
One small conversation I had with my boys about how taking deep breaths can help you calm down really stuck. And it WORKED!
60 Second Strategy:
Take 60 seconds and talk to your child about something – anything! They are listening. They are waiting.
