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4 Tips For Calming Your Child During A Meltdown

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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Kristen Hale, mother of two young boys and regular contributor here at 5 Minutes for Mom, has some helpful tips for calming a child during a meltdown. We want to thank our sponsor Calm Down Companions for providing a fantastic prize for one of you.

Tips for calming a child during a meltdown

It all started with a haircut.

I went to pick up my 3-year old son from preschool after getting my hair cut, and his response to my new bangs wasn’t a good one. There was wailing, screaming, crying – a really solid toddler meltdown, in front of all his teachers and classmates. I wouldn’t usually be embarrassed by his shenanigans, but when he started smacking the bangs on my forehead yelling, “I don’t like that, Mommy! I don’t like your hair like that!”, well, then even I got a bit sweaty and ruddy-cheeked.

Thankfully, I had stashed our Tranquil Teddy in the back seat of the car. I walked (practically dragged) my traumatized son to the car, plopped him in his car seat, and quickly handed him his stuffed teddy bear. Within 90 seconds, my son had completely calmed down, had finished crying and was quietly sucking his thumb while hugging his bear.

Calm Down Companions

And get this – he was taking deep breaths, just like we had taught him with his Calm Down Companion, Tranquil Teddy.

What is a Calm Down Companion?

Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy are specially designed plush toys to help soothe a child during an emotionally stressful or difficult episode.

Calm Down Companion - Tranquil Teddy

Calm Down Companion - Peaceful Puppy

In moments of a tantrum or outburst, children are encouraged to take a “positive pawz” and focus on the calming elements of their Calm Down Companion. Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy can be with them at home or on the go. Visits to the doctor’s office, new schools and traveling can be much better with a Calm Down Companion in tow.

How Does it Work?

The Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy are comforting plush stuffed animals consisting of super soft fur and an illuminated LED light within a specialized, slow-falling glitter ball. The slow falling glitter gives your child an opportunity to take deep breaths while focusing on something that is naturally calming, watching the glitter as it swirls around and falls for a duration of approximately one minute and fifteen seconds. This time allows the child to regain control over their breathing pattern and come out of “fight or flight” mode and back into a calm state of mind.

Calm Down Companion Toys

The Calm Down Companion is also perfect for getting your child to sleep. The soft LED light (which can be set to a timer to turn off), gives your child the comfort they seek, even in the middle of the night.

A Good Cause.

While the Tranquil Teddy was borne out of the need to soothe a child, the second companion, Peaceful Puppy, was created with an extra special child in mind. The ChadTough charity is an organization honoring the loss of an amazing little boy who suffered Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), a rare incurable brain cancer. With the intention of spreading awareness and raising funds, Peaceful Puppy was created with the help of Chad’s mother in likeness of his two puppies, who helped him through his difficult treatments. For every Peaceful Puppy purchased, a portion of the proceeds are donated back to the ChadTough charity to help raise money to find a cure for DIPG.

Calm Down Companions - Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy

If you’re looking for a way to calm your toddler or preschooler down during a tantrum or major meltdown, look no further:

4 Tips For Calming Your Child During A Meltdown

  1. Acknowledge your toddler’s feelings and wishes.
    As a parent, you can validate your child’s feelings without condoning an action. You can do this without agreeing with them or giving in to their behavior, but simply listening.
     
  2. Distract from the issue.
    When toddlers are having a meltdown, the quicker you can distract them from it, the better. Young children aren’t rational, so instead of explaining your rationale to them when they aren’t in a state to listen, it helps to distract the child. Moving to a different location or handing them an item of comfort is a way to distract them from their meltdown. This is a great time to give them a toy like the Tranquil Teddy or Peaceful Puppy.
     
  3. Teach them to take some deep breaths.
    Deep breathing can help calm your toddler down. Coupled with their favorite comfort toy and your listening ear, this is the final step that can help your child relax again.
     
  4. Talk it out.
    Once your toddler is calm, you can take a moment to discuss why they were feeling upset. This is also where the parent can share their own feelings on the matter, like when I told my son, “It hurt my feelings when told me you didn’t like my bangs.” My son was much more apt to understand me and discuss it with me once he felt loved, safe and understood.

 

Learn more about the Calm Down Companions:
www.calmdowncompanion.com |Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
 

Giveaway

If you’d like to win Tranquil Teddy and Peaceful Puppy, please leave us a comment sharing your own stories or tips about calming your children’s tantrums or tell us why you’d like to win these Calm Down Companions.

Then complete your entry using the entry form below.

 

Sorry to our Canadian friends, this giveaway is open to the US only.


Disclosure: This post is sponsored so extra thanks for reading and sharing.
Written by 5 Minutes for Mom contributor Kristen Hale, who blogs about living a playful and intentional life at Oy!

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How to calm a child during a meltdown

 

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98 Comments

  4. My granddaughter is 5 years old, and we thought the tantrums were done. We were wrong. We have tried things like yelling into a pillow to get it out, or just hugging her and using a calm voice. My daughter can use all of the help she can get. Now all I have to do is win it! haha Happy Holidays everyone!

    Reply

  5. My first thing to do is try to distract and take them away from what is bothering them. Sometimes patience and time is all it takes. These would be perfect for the little ones who need to give a hug while they are feeling upset.

    Reply

  9. I have a nephew whom I would like to see if this would work with he has Autism and his meltdowns are getting him kicked out of school, so I would love to see if something like this would help him. My oldest daughter has Autism also, with her meltdowns having her put headphones on and listen to music seems to help a lot. My 2 year old throws some amazing fits, I just ignore them, walk away from her and give her no attention for that behavior and that seems to work with her.

    Reply

  14. When my baby boy was a newborn the only way I could calm him down was letting him chew on a wet washcloth. He was born with Acid Reflux and he never used bottles they would make him throw up. They put a feeding tube in and he’s doing great and he is slowly eating all types of food.

    Reply

  15. my son has autism he has meltdowns frequently I usually let him have his space, after that We talk it out and discuss better ways we could have handled the situation

    Reply

  16. My niece goes into melt down mode when ever she is nervous about something so we hold hands and quietly sing a song and with in a minute she calms down and is able to focus this also works on my kids .

    Reply

  18. What works for me with an upset baby or child is to talk soothing and stroke and shape their eyebrows. It works like a charm for me!

    Reply

  19. These are so cute. I’m sure just hugging these teddies would calm any child. I would love to give them to my grandchildren. Thanks.

    Reply

  20. I want to win this for my daughter who is expecting her first baby in 2018. I think if the child grows up with it it’ll help keep them calm and feel soothed.

    Reply

  23. I would like to win this for my grandson who is a special needs child. He often has difficulty sitting still or rocking back and forth. I believe one of these would be beneficial to him.

    Reply

  24. I get down to her level and talk to her. I have made calming bottles with glitter and water she shakes and breaths until the glitter settles.

    Reply

  25. Sometimes it’s just going to take exhaustion for them to calm down, but when it’s not that bad a hug or leaving the current room helps. A lot of times they forget why they’re even having a tantrum if they get distracted.

    Reply

  27. I don’t have children, but I have seen many meltdowns. The attitude of the adult can make or break the situation. I know a child (and their parent) that could really use one of these. I think it is wonderful that such a positive thing as the Peaceful Puppy came into being out of such a sad and tragic situation.

    Reply

  28. I use cuddles to calm my kids. I think this teddy bear that may be an alternative if cuddles are not available from Mom.

    Reply

  29. I need on of these for myself haha! But really the distraction part is essential, once my son sees our cat or one of his aunts he’s immediately better.

    Reply

  31. My daughter has aniexity and adhd from having a genetic disorder called 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. I would love to win the teddy for her she is 10 years old

    Reply

  32. My son has a hard time calming down especially when he wakes up from a nap, so I think this would be a great thing for him to have!

    Reply

  33. I don’t think anything I do can calm her down. It seems to only make it worse when I try. Maybe one of these stuffed animals could actually help her calm down.

    Reply

  34. we try to teach coping skills. i feel like i didn’t really have good coping skills as a child. so with my children i talk them through feelings and coping skills.

    Reply

  35. I would love to win these to give them as a gift to a friend whose son has severe autism and pounds his head on the wall when he is upset. I think they could be a real help.

    Reply

  37. I wish I knew of a good way of calming my daughter down when she’s having a fit. We’ve gotten lucky a few times with a random funny. Sometimes we’ve been able to guess what was bothering her and get her to talk it out. Most of the time, though, we just end up having to ride it out and hope nobody gets hurt physically or emotionally.

    Reply

  40. My son knows that he is going to time out if he throws a tantrum. We don’t have much of a problem, but I realize all kids are different. Thanks for the giveaway.

    Reply

  42. I would love to win one of the Calm Down Companions for my daughter who has an impulse disorder and could use this during her meltdowns.

    Reply

  45. I agree with distraction. For my 22 month old, distracting him with planes, trains and cars is the easiest way to get him to calm down.

    Reply

  46. We have found distraction helps — just as the article mentions. Later, once our kiddo has calmed down, we talk about it. The bear would be great to try as it might be a calming distraction and provide additional comfort.

    Reply

  51. What a lovely idea – like the post mentioned we’re big on deep breathing and acknowledgement, those 2 tips go a very long way in bringing calmness and peace!

    Reply

  52. One of my grandsons sadly has several meltdowns a week for the last few yrs… to the point of even running away.. he can be sweet and fine one moment and then suddenly have a meltdown at the slightest thing. He went through major trauma when he was very little from an abusive father who gratefully is no longer in their lives.. in fact he is blessed with a sweet man who is doing his best to try to help calm him and help him to feel secure as he grows. His latest meltdowns happen whenever he is the car, after a few mins driving he goes ballistic! my family is doing all they can to help him..diet.. rest… patience… time outs… supplements. When I saw this product I was so blessed. Why? because even tho he is no longer a toddler, both he and his older brother have mentioned this year they wished they had a stuffed animal, like a security blanket, to have at home or in the car! So glad you have done this review! I had never heard of this company and will now look into them!

    Reply

  53. When my kids were younger I would ignore them. We talked after they calmed down. They quickly realized they weren’t going to get their way when they throw a tantrum.

    Reply

  54. one of my grand daughters has a hard time with self soothing. I’d like this for her. I dont’ have any great ideas for calming down kids as it got pretty crazy sometimes with 6. But I do remember the crying and fighting a lot in the car and I’d just jam up the radio as a distraction. The kids learned to love the 60’s oldies and the 80’s music. and still do. they know all the words to songs and their friends always wondered why. haha.

    Reply

  55. One of my favorite toys for calming my daughter with sensory processing disorder is a warm bath with epsom salt, lavender oil, and chamomile oil. No matter how worked up this will help soothe and relax. I would love to try this to help keep her fall asleep

    Reply

  56. I would love to win these to gift to my brother who has his own kids now. My daughter is older, but music was a great way to help soothe her during a meltdown.

    Reply

  57. We are having issues trying to get our youngest to transition to his own room. He has been getting up in the middle of the night and crawling into bed between my husband and I.

    Reply

  60. We haven’t found the best way to calm him down when he is having a tantrum. Thanks for all the great ideas and I am going to look into getting one of these.

    Reply

  62. I just kind of ignored their tantrums when they were tiny and waited until they calmed to talk. They learned quickly that tantrums didn’t get them anywhere

    Reply

  64. I’ve found that the best thing I could do is ignore them. Let them throw the tantrum and when they figure out no one is watching they get over it quicker. After they are finished and back to normal — that’s the time to discuss and reason with them.

    Reply

  65. Taking deep breathes (both them and me) is a huge help for use during a tantrum. We would like the calm bear because it is something tangible to aid in the calming down process!

    Reply

  66. I’ve found that hugging a stuffed friend can help my daughter during a meltdown – and of course some mommy cuddles doesn’t hurt either!

    Reply

  70. I want to win one of these Calm Down Companions because my 3 year son has been having a lot of meltdowns lately and the time out chair has not been working. I would like to see if the Calm Down Companion helps him cool down.

    Reply

  71. I would like to win this for my daughter. She is a more difficult, strong-willed child. She has a really hard time dealing with her feelings sometimes.

    Reply

  72. My son is only 2.5 so right now, when he gets really upset, he’s small enough that my husband and I just pick him up and walk around with him. Which usually distracts him long enough that we can move on.

    Reply

  74. We all have (or want to have) meltdowns now and then and the idea of having something to give a quick hug can help calm anyone, anywhere at anytime. It would also be an item that could be shared!

    Reply

  76. Walking away and into different room often helps. My 5-year-old didn’t start having tantrums until recently. I think it’s mostly due to having a new sibling, so something like this would help.

    Reply

  77. I have a autistic foster child. when she gets upsets there seems to be no way to calm her down for at least an hour. I need ideas to try and calm her down

    Reply

  78. I don’t have any tips yet, because my little one is still a baby. However, I would love to start him with one of these calming stuffed animals to help teach him how to control his melt downs from the beginning.

    Reply

  79. I would like to win these for for my grandmother as she suffers from anxiety. This would help her I believe.

    Reply

  80. It’s hard to get my son to calm down during tantrums. I put him in time out and try to talk to him soothingly and help him calm down and it takes time.

    Reply

  81. I try to remain calm and never raise my voice, just keep talking in a calm tone. Distractions came be very useful until you can talk to your child. These bears are a great idea, i love them!

    Reply

  82. After years of experience as a nanny, mother, and what I remember from when I was a child, I disagree with distracting children. That nearly always results in a kid who misbehaves later, often in a mean or annoying, because they’ve suppressed instead of processing whatever is going on. That said, sometimes mom’s just run out of emotional energy or are in a situation where a quick fix is necessary.

    Reply

  83. My grand son has autism. He calms down when you distract him from whatever is bothering him and sometimes a little humor helps too.

    Reply

  84. I would love to win this because my 2 year old is constantly having tantrums and I have yet to find something that actually helps.

    Reply

  86. I have a 7 yr old grandson with autisum and he has several meltdowns a week,,id love to try this to see if it would help him calm down,,usually i have to go to the school ,get him alone and let him away from others and talk softly to get him to calm down

    Reply

  87. Having silent time to think about it and also giving a hug while looking directly in their eyes and giving them 2 reasonable options instead of the mind frame of being in that moment and reacting with anger usually helps us.

    Reply

  93. We do deep breaths and quiet time!! He has a corner with books and a pillow and he goes there when he needs it, or is told 😉

    Reply