One time when our kids were younger they got into a fight about something, I was so maxed out that I locked myself in the bathroom to take a few breaths. I had to escape because I didn’t have a reliable plan for how to soothe myself in high-stress moments.

When you’re with your kids and something happens, what do you do to calm yourself in the moment (besides running away like I did)?

There are a few ideas for “in the moment” calming and centering in this video (1 min 45 sec).

And I’m looking forward to hearing your favorite calming tips in the comments section. I will read and respond to each one!

Please know… It’s not always possible to calm ourselves in the moment. We might be too fired up, or we might forget what to do. Sometimes it makes sense to take a break, as long as our kids are safe, and circle back around to them later.

But we’re more likely to be able to soothe ourselves in the moment if we’ve come up with a plan beforehand for how to do it.