Keeping yourself well during challenging behaviour
Taking care of your own wellbeing is essential to supporting your child effectively. It’s completely normal to feel frustrated or overwhelmed at times, especially with the demands of family, work, and other responsibilities.
By prioritising your own self-care and managing your stress, you not only support your own health but also model these practices for your child. This helps them understand the importance of self-care and managing their own emotions, even when things do not go as planned.
Strategies to help keep calm during challenging behaviour:
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Strategy 1
Count to 10 before you react.
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Strategy 2
Put yourself in timeout, leave the room and go somewhere quiet once your child is somewhere safe.
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Strategy 3
Take some slow, deep breaths.
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Strategy 4
Go for a walk, do self-care such as getting a shower or listen to music.
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Strategy 5
Take a helicopter view, think about why your child is acting this way.
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Strategy 6
Self-coach by repeating phrases like “I can deal with this.”