Sharing your calm – thinking about when your baby might need support

What to try 

• Think about situations or events that your toddler finds difficult: perhaps busy places, unfamiliar surroundings, being excited or tired; sometimes you might not quite understand why your baby has become overwhelmed.  
• Offer reassurance by acknowledging their feelings and help them to regulate by staying calm yourself even when the situation feels difficult. Not easy to do, we know. But it can help to stop emotions escalating further. 

Good to know 

Your baby is developing their understanding of themselves, and they might be eager to do things independently and become frustrated when they can’t. They’ll need repeated experiences of being helped to calm down before they can do this on their own. So, think about how you find time to do the things you enjoy and that help you relax so you can support your baby.