First: identify
Waylon's Grown-Up Guide
Big feelings need a safe path back to calm.
Help Waylon name what he feels, choose what may help, and learn a better response after his body is ready.
See it · point to it · practice it
Waylon's visual tools
Practice with the pictures while he is calm so they feel familiar when emotions rise.
Next: choose
What Can Help Me?
During distress, point to two likely choices. Waylon can point, touch, look, or let a grown-up choose.Regulation comes before correction
The five-step routine
Use fewer words, slower movements, and a lower voice. A two-year-old learns through co-regulation.- ConnectGet low, soften your face and voice, and stay close. Say, “You are safe. I am here.”
- NameOffer the wheel. If he cannot point, reflect what you see: “You look frustrated.”
- ChooseOffer only two calming pictures: “Wall pushes or your Tonie?”
- CalmDo the activity with him. Keep the boundary in place and focus first on safety.
- ReconnectWhen his body is calm, teach the limit, repair harm, and practice what to do next time.
Fifteen familiar ways to reset
Calming choices
A choice is helping if Waylon becomes a little safer, slower, or more connected—not only if he becomes instantly cheerful.Pray
Keep it brief: “Jesus, please help my body feel calm. Amen.” Pray with him; do not require repetition.
Listen to a Tonie
Choose one familiar, quiet selection and sit nearby for 5–10 minutes.
Hug a stuffed animal
Invite a firm, gentle squeeze. Never force touch or a hug.
Jump or do burpees
Do 5–10 together in a clear space. Stop if movement increases his energy.
Ask for help
Model “Help, please” with words or a gesture, then respond quickly.
Blow bubbles
Encourage one slow breath in and a longer, gentle blow out.
Take an animal walk
Move across the room and back with ape squats, penguin steps, or elephant stomps.
Squeeze a stress ball
Use a child-safe ball: “Squeeze…and let go” five times.
Push the wall
Place both palms flat and count five slow pushes, then shake arms loose.
Smell the flowers
Hand on belly: breathe in gently through the nose and breathe out slowly.
View a glitter jar
Watch a sealed child-safe jar settle together and quietly name what you notice.
Rest in a cozy corner
Keep it inviting, visible, voluntary, and never a place of punishment or isolation.
Starfish breathing
Trace up a finger while breathing in and down while breathing out.
Color
Offer chunky crayons and one page. Sit nearby with no expectation to finish.
Drink water
Offer his familiar thermos and pause for several calm sips.
Correct · repair · practice
After his body is calm
Keep the conversation under one minute. Regulation does not erase the boundary; it makes learning possible.Reconnect
“Your body is calm. I am here. I love you.” Offer closeness without requiring a hug.
Name it
“You were angry because school time started.” Avoid labels such as bad or mean.
Restate the limit
“It is okay to be angry. It is not okay to hit.”
Repair the harm
Help check on someone, pick up, rebuild, or practice gentle hands. Do not force an apology.
Practice the replacement
Rehearse once: “Show me gentle hands,” “Say help,” or “Point to frustrated.”
Follow through
Use a calm, related consequence: a thrown toy rests; spilled items are helped up.
Notice success
“You were upset and you pushed the wall. Your body got calm.”
“You felt ____. I would not let you ____. Next time, you can ____. Let's practice.”
Build the skill while calm
Prevent more than you correct
- Use the wheel during happy, focused, and calm moments—not only during problems.
- Preview transitions with a visual timer or a simple first-then statement.
- Watch for hunger, thirst, fatigue, overstimulation, difficult work, and waiting.
- Offer small choices early and build movement breaks into homeschool.
- Track what happened before, the body signal, the strategy tried, and what helped.
Print · post · practice
Download the complete toolkit
One-page visualPointing PosterFifteen label-free choices on one portrait page.Open poster
Printable set of 3-inch cardsSelf-Regulation CardsFifteen individual cards with clean cutting borders.Open cards
Five-page resourceParent GuideFull directions, scripts, follow-up, and prevention plan.Open guide
When to ask for help: Talk with Waylon's pediatrician if tantrums are unusually intense or frequent, regularly cause injury, last a very long time, substantially interfere with daily life, or if you notice loss of skills or other developmental concerns.
Rooted in Faith - Growing in Wisdom