Acknowledgements - gapitc

Self-control
Activities and Strategies
for Development
Hurry Up and Wait
Practice the game of “I Spy” with your child while waiting in line at the store, the
bank, or the doctor’s office.
Locate an object you and your child can see easily. Say, “I spy something red.”
Have your child guess. Give more clues,“It’s red and up high…it’s red, up high and
above the door.”
See if your child can find the exit sign from your clues.
Let your child pick an item and give you clues to guess.
Take a Deep Breath
Show your child how to take a deep relaxing breath, breathing in through your
nose and out from your mouth. Have him count to three as he is breathing in and
out.
As he practices, hold up a tissue and show him how the tissue moves when he
breathes out.
Tell the child to blow out like he is blowing out candles.
When your child has an upsetting experience, remind him that he can breathe
and pretend to blow out candles to calm himself and feel better.
Model this for him when you are tense and need to calm yourself!
Feel Out Loud
Read a book about strong feelings such as When Sophie Gets Angry—Really, Really
Angry by Molly Bang.
On each page, encourage your child to look at the pictures and say how
Sophie feels.
Point to the words that tell how she acts and feels, “She kicks. She screams.” “She
roars a red, red roar.” “She cries.” “She feels better now.”
Tell your child that when she uses words to tell how she feels it helps others
understand. Talk about some things your child can do or say when she gets angry.
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