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ANXIOUS or upset toddlers often hold their breath. Deep and concentrated breathing helps lower their heart rates and calms them, making them feel more in control.
Encourage your child to take a deep breath in, hold it for a few seconds and then breathe out a big sigh. It can be fun to think of breathing out every colour of the rainbow or blowing out birthday candles.
LISTEN TO RELAXING MUSIC
LISTENING to relaxing music or sounds of nature like birdsong or waves has been proven to lower the heart rate and cortisol levels, creating a relaxed state for sleep.
Relax and listen to Calm Collective’s Inner Calm (decca. lnk.to/InnerCalmWE) or Baby Sleep (decca.lnk.to/babysleepWE). See if your child can spot what each sound is and talk about a memory it may
evoke.
ENCOURAGE CHILDREN TO NOTICE WHAT’S AROUND THEM
MINDFULNESS can be as simple as noticing what’s happening in the present and giving it full attention.
Children are natural observers and encouraging them to connect to how they use their mind is a skill that can help with many challenges.
Take a cuddly toy at bedtime and ask your child to examine it closely; look at it, smell it, see what it feels like, and listen to the sound it makes against their ear.
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LISTEN TO YOUR CHILD
ALLOWING your child the space to be heard can help them express any hidden anxieties they’ve bottled up before it’s time to settle down for sleep.
Ask specific questions: What was your favourite part of the day? When did you laugh the hardest? Allow your child to draw their own conclusions about how they feel.
BE WITH YOUR TODDLER
FIND ways to calm down and be with your toddler that don’t involve screens. Mindfulness for kids is as much about mindfulness for parents. Being present and tuning into their needs comforts them and lowers their heart rates, encouraging
sleep.
The physical closeness of bedtime stories encourages that all important hormone oxytocin, and sharing stories is a way to inspire empathy. If you’re too tired to read a story, listen to Calm Kids Bedtime Stories
together.