Cool-Down Countdown

Your child counts backward from five with slow breaths to calm down when upset.

Category: Emotional Growth · Duration: ~5 min

1. When your little one is getting heated, kneel to their level and say, "Let's do our countdown together." 2. Hold up five fingers. Count backward from five — one number per slow breath out. Lower one finger each time. 3. At zero, ask, "How does your body feel now?" Help them notice the shift. 4. Practice this when they're calm first so it becomes automatic when they're upset. 5. Celebrate when they use it on their own: "You calmed yourself down — that's powerful!"