Setting Up Your "Take a Break" Space

Each “take a break” space will ultimately look different. It all depends on the space you have in your home or classroom, the age of your child, and the specific ways your child works through emotions. For babies, you might have a small space with a soft cushion, some board books, and teethers to bite. For older kiddos, you can have a bean bag, bubble wrap, a journal, or pillows to hit. If you have questions about how to set up the space for your child, please contact me and we will make a plan! Here are the basics:

• a private/semi-private space, away from the hustle and bustle of your house or classroom. Ideally the “take a break” spot is not in your child’s bedroom or in a learning center of your classroom.

• have a soft space to sit - bean bags are great or a big pillow or cushion work well, too.

• have a basket or tote with soft balls to throw, paper to tear, snap toys to pull apart - I’ll create a separate post and Instagram story with a list of supplies, pictures, and ways to use the materials.

The most important thing to remember is that the “take a break” space is a place to go before the meltdown or challenging behavior, ideally. There are usually warning signs, so keep an eye out and prompt your kiddo to “take a break” to cool down. If you feel like the outbursts come out of nowhere, contact me and we will talk through it. If you get to a meltdown state, you just need to ride it out (watch for a future post about meltdowns). If a problem behavior occurs, everyone take a break and regroup to talk about it when everyone is calm.