Find Your Center

Our son, Alex, has a tendency to be a little dramatic (understatement). We needed to find a way to communicate to him to stay cool and calm like Fireman Sam, but to find that within his own body.

We started talking to him about his center. Whenever he would get upset I would tell him, “Find your center.” And I would show him where his center is. He would start asking, “Where is Mommy’s center? Where is Daddy’s center?” I would point to the same place on each person – even his stuffed animals – pointing at each heart center.

After a few weeks, when he would get upset, I would see him touching his heart area and start breathing. He was learning to calm himself down.

Parenting is really about repetition. Many times you think that your children are not listening or that nothing is getting in. Then one day they display this behavior that tells you that what you say to them really does matter. Try this with your own children.

1. Explain to your child that everyone has a center within their bodies that connects them to a calm and peaceful feeling.
2. Show your child on your body where your center is, and then show your child where his/her center is.
3. Have your child point to his/her own center.
4. Have your child take a deep breath and feel the calmness that washes over his/her body.
5. When your child is upset about something, remind him/her to find his/her center, breathe, and then the solutions to any problem will come from there.