Parent Practice Planner

When to Practice Which Tools — and Why It Matters

Children don’t learn new emotional skills in the heat of a meltdown — they learn them through calm, playful repetition. This planner helps you build each tool into your child’s natural daily rhythms, so when stress does hit, they already know what to do.

Daily Practice Planner

Time of Day	What’s Happening	Which Tool to Practice	How to Practice It
Morning Wake-Up	Body and brain are still settling	Finger Tracing Breath	Sit together before getting up. Trace slowly. Do one full hand.
	Emotional tone for the day is forming	Feelings Thermometer	Ask, “Where are you on your feelings thermometer this morning?”
Getting Dressed / Meals	Transition with mild stress or resistance	Dragon Breath (playfully)	One or two big dragon breaths while putting on shoes or brushing teeth.
Before Leaving	Tension, rushing, anxiety	Five Senses Grounding or Mantra Card	Play the Senses Game on the walk to the car. Pick a mantra and tuck it in a pocket.
Midday Reset	Post-activity or overstimulation	Spaghetti Noodle Body	Do 2 rounds of stiff → flop. Shake it out. Laughter encouraged.
Afternoon Tantrums	Meltdown recovery or dysregulation	Name It to Tame It + Feelings Thermometer	Ask, “What feeling is this? Where is it in your body? How big is it right now?”
Dinner or Evening Wind-Down	Body begins to slow, emotions linger	Bubble Belly Breathing	Practice together with a stuffed animal on the belly, slow and steady.
Bedtime	Final transition to sleep	Body Scan, Worry Jar, Mantra Card	Pick one or two tools nightly. Build into a repeatable wind-down routine.

Practice Tips for Parents:

Practice during calm moments, not during emotional crises.
Keep it short and playful — no more than 2–3 minutes per tool.
Let your child choose or “lead” some nights. Kids retain more when they feel in control.
Keep visual tools nearby: a Feelings Thermometer on the fridge, mantra cards in a Calm Kit, and a bedtime buddy by the pillow.
Consistency builds safety. Repetition builds mastery.

Daily Routine Chart

Track Calm Practices as a Family — Without Pressure or Perfection

This simple routine tracker helps grown-ups and kids stay connected to the tools — and reinforces that emotional skills are practiced just like brushing teeth or tying shoes.

Morning Routine

Finger Tracing Breath
Feelings Thermometer Check-In
Dragon Breath (wake-up version)

Midday / After School

Spaghetti Noodle Body or Movement Break
Five Senses Grounding Game
“I Can Handle This” Mantra Practice

Evening Wind-Down

Bubble Belly Breathing or Breathing Buddy
Body Scan Relaxation
Worry Jar or Feelings Write-Down
Goodnight Mantra Card

You can check off these boxes daily or weekly — but the real goal isn’t the chart. It’s the connection. Every time you practice, you’re teaching your child:
“Feelings are okay. We can slow down. We can work through it. And we do it together.”