Create a Quiet Place for Children to Relax, Ease Frustration

When we feel stressed or overwhelmed we often want to find a quiet place to escape to until we can feel calmer. Young children have the same need for a quiet and soothing place to sit in when they feel frustrated. Parents often send their children to their bedrooms to calm down. However, a child's bedroom is often anything but relaxing and soothing. Setting up a special place in your home for your children to escape to when they need time to calm down is a simple and effective way to help your child ease frustrations and relax. Follow these simple steps to create a calm place for your young children to retreat to when they feel overwhelmed.

Start by finding a place that is naturally quiet and away from the busiest places in your home. A corner in a room infrequently used is a good place to put together your quiet place. Look around your home to get a few ideas of places that would be calming, an unused breakfast nook or largecubby can be great places to use. If you have other children in your home you need to be mindful of the paces they normally play. For this to be a quiet place it needs to be away from noises and distractions that would only overwhelm a frustrated child even more, as well as making sure the child using it would not be bothered by other children looking to play.

Once you have your place picked out you can begin decorating it. Think of things that calm and relax you and apply them to your child. Soft, muted colors, gentle scents, and relaxing music are all things you can use to create an environment of peace. Be sure to consider what your child likes and does not like. Lavender may relax you, but the scent may be disrupting to your child. For some children classical music may work for others you may want to choose nursery songs, still others may prefer silence. If you have more than one child using the area you may want to keep a box nearby with supplies so that you can switch out music, scents, or other things for each child. Once you have an idea of how you will decorate the area then you can begin setting up the area for your area.

For your child's quiet place you want to choose toys and books that are quiet and calming themselves. Many parents use a soft bean bag chair or a child sized recliner to give your child a place they can sit and relax. Set up a small bookcase to hold items or use small baskets nearby that you can keep a few quiet objects in. Coloring books and crayons, books to read, and soft cloth dolls are items that many parents use. Consider toys that are not too stimulating and that you can trust your child to use if you cannot be there to watch. For some children colored dough may be a good option however others may be too excited by this and create a mess. Some parents suggest a small television to allow your child to watch cartoons on, however television can overstimulate a child even more and is not recommended at all for a calming, quiet place. The point of this area is not to merely quiet your child but to help them relax and feel less frustrated.

It is important to remember that this is not meant to be a punishment for your child, this cannot be stressed enough. Having a place for your young child to release frustrations and calm down when they feel overwhelmed. Children can easily be over excited by play, loud sounds, or too much activity. Young children that are unable to fully express themselves are especially vulnerable to frustration as they cannot explain what they need or understand what is wrong. Setting up a soothing, quiet place where they can be away from what is frustrating them and calm down is a great way to help your child learn how to handle stress and feel calmer.