1.) Check out our list of sensory break ideas:

✔ Decrease background noise where you can (music, tv, etc.) or some headphones they can wear if they need a break from noise
✔ Provide a dimly lit, quiet space for them to give their nervous system a break.
✔ Provide your child with a weighted blanket or weighted stuffy to snuggle.
✔ Take a walk.
✔ Collaborate with other caregivers to create a space where your child can retreat if needed (i.e. a small play tent at child care, or a cozy corner at school).

2.) Sprinkle breaks throughout your child's day:

Every time your child gives their nervous system a break, it's like charging their battery. They're able to cope with the daily stressors of life (loud noises, screens, bright lights, schedule changes, unknown expectations etc) with more ease. When you give your child a break, research shows it recharges their battery for 90-120 minutes. This means that we can best support kids by offering a regulating sensory break every two hours or so, to keep their battery from being drained excessively.

3.) Use breaks as a coping strategy:

✔ Would you like to go sit in the cozy corner together before we solve this problem?
✔ Your body seems overwhelmed. I'm going to dim the lights and turn down the music.
✔ Would like to snuggle your weighted stuffy before we chat about this?

We all have unique sensory profiles,

which means that the way our central nervous system regulates will be unique, too. Our nervous system processes input through our 8 sensory systems:

Hey there, I'm Alyssa Blask Campbell
And as a teacher & a parent, I get it.

I'm a teacher, parent, and an emotional development expert with a master's degree in early childhood education. I co-created the Collaborative Emotion Processing method, and researched it across the country.

My book, Tiny Humans, Big Emotions is publishing in October with HarperCollins!

I'm on a mission to change the ways adults experience children’s emotions so we can respond with intention to raise emotionally intelligent humans.