teaching children that they are allowed to walk away and cool off if they are feeling overwhelmed might literally save their life as teens/adults
I am a preschool teacher.
This is my “alone zone.”
At any time of the day, if my kids are feeling stressed, they can go here to cool down. There’s stress toys, silly putty, bubbles, sensory bottles…there’s books and headphones to block out the loud noises.
The only thing they have to do is “check in” by putting their picture on which emotion they’re feeling so I know how I can help them when they’re ready.
Kids. Need. Space.
Kids. Need. Coping. Mechanisms.
Not. Time-outs.
And the sooner we as adults teach them that, the better off they’ll be as they grow.
This is brilliant.
Time-outs have their place, but they are grossly misused by just about anyone who uses them (ie: giving more than a minute per year old or not explaining what they did wrong, using them to punish for tantrums or meltdowns).
Most ‘bad’ behavior of young children stems from them not being able to communicate their needs and feelings properly in ways that others can easily understand. That’s frustrating! Even to me, as an adult, everything gets worse when I can’t communicate what I need because sometimes I don’t know!
Look at how beautiful and non-judgmental this is. There space to scream, be quiet, engage in an activity alone, and drown out the rest of the world. All things that can teach a child how to manage their feelings. I love this, so, so much.
Lickmyanusualplacenta 