"Calm Down Chair"

If you have been following this blog back when it first began with www.childwithepilepsy.blogspot.com you may remember the 'calm down chair'.

The 'calm down chair' was recently reinstated in our house for Sophia Ann. This is a technique... I don't know where it came from... maybe a combination of a number of things I had seen on television from Super Nanny or Nanny 911, but it is a place where children, Sophia, can go when life is just spinning out of control. When she can't seem to "get a grip"she can go to this spot. A comfortable spot, away from noise, people, distractions. She can sit here with her blanket, her favorite stuffed animal, and maybe a cool drink of water. It is relaxing and she is supposed to breath and calm herself down to a place where life will make a little more sense.

We use this because our overwhelmingly dramatic daughter can have mood swings from her medication. I don't feel comfortable disciplining her for something that she may not be able to control 100%. I don't though, want her to think that the behavior is OK or something that is rewarded. So she can go sit in her 'calm down chair' away from the activity going on until she is ready and Tony or I tell her she can join back in whatever we were doing.

For Sophia the "calm down chair" is a little wooden rocking chair in the corner of her room. It has a pink blanket that stays in her chair. She sits with her pink stuffed pig. Sometimes I will bring her a cup of water to drink. I normally turn the lights off, leaving her 'bravery light' on (we will talk about this one later- but it's multicolored Christmas lights, strung on her headboard of her bed). I close the door and walk away.

This is good for both of us, it reinforces that she will not get attention for this behavior. Teaching her a way to calm herself down. All the while, the 'calm down chair' removes the screaming four year old from under my feet.

Personally, I think everyone needs a 'calm down chair' and I may be using Tony's recliner to do just that during the kids nap time today! I think everyone needs a spot to go and breath until the world makes a little more sense. Heck, I may sit here all afternoon.