Importance of Quiet Space

Being a parent usually means that you have to deal with ordinary things in a way you’re not used to. Having a curious and active child is both bliss and a curse, since they will be needing a lot attention and help from you to channel that. In addition, children who struggle with their emotions may have hard time calming down when they are angry, sad, or excited. This is the reason why come parents choose to give their children space where they can calm down.

Find the right place

You don’t need a lot of space to create a ‘quiet place’ for your child. Sometimes a quiet corner will do, or you can choose to give them a separate place like room beneath the stairs, or an old reading nook. It does not have to be spacious, it only needs to be safe and comfortable enough for your child to spend some time when upset. A nice and cozy corner will do just fine; it should be away from all the noise and bustle and closed off. Remember, your child should be alone with their thoughts.

What to have in there?

The space should not be too stimulating, it should calm the child down and help them relax, but still it should not be bare and sterile. A few cozy cushions and blankets for them to sit on or sleep in, and a box of things to help them relax. However, too many toys will have the opposite effect and the child might be too stimulated to relax. Instead, you could place a box of simple and useful things: a nice book for them to read, since reading can help them relax and forget about things they were upset with, a stress ball, a glitter bottle or a snow bowl (you can easily make these yourself if you have the time and the patience), and a soft toy they can cuddle.

Light and sounds

The environment is extremely important here and it should serve only one purpose: calming them down. Just as you should put only soft cushions, pillows, and blankets in there, so should you make sure the light is soothing as well. Simple fairy lights on the ceiling, lava lamp, or a lamp with adjustable brightness are all great choices (the latter one is the best if your child wishes to read as well). As for the sounds, you could put in a small iPod with calming music and teach them to turn it on and off (they will master it quite quickly). Classical music or compilations for meditating, studying, and sleeping will all be good.

When to use quiet space

There are many reasons you should send your child to quiet space for, but you should always send them in when you see they are struggling to keep themselves together: when they are really sad because, upset or even mad because they fought with their siblings, angry because they didn’t get what they asked for, etc. You could send them in to calm down and tell them you can talk about it when they are calmer. If your children are still little, quiet space is great to help them deal with all the excessive energy they have, especially if they stopped napping during daytime.

By providing your children with ‘quiet space’, you will give them an effective way to handle their emotions. Staying in a peaceful and quiet space will have a calming effect on them, and as they grow they will learn to calm down more easily.