By Ady Manory
Assistant Editor
Rockwern Academy’s Division of Adulting invites young adults of all walks of life (single, coupled, with children, or without) to an insightful workshop titled How To: Keep Calm, led by Cincinnatian Sarah Habib, founder of The Calm Caterpillar, a local non-profit that aims at utilizing the tools of mindfulness in creating calmer spaces for families, teachers and students to breathe, move and thrive in.
“The activities were so fun and helpful to use while calming her down…” said John P. Parker, about his daughter, who participated in Habib’s Calm Caterpillar program.
An insightful blog entry from Calm Caterpillar’s website titled How to Reduce Meltdowns | 6 Strategies for Modern Millennial Parents (December 2023), gives a taste of Habib’s life improving teachings: “Collaborate on Problem-Solving:
Include your child in the decision-making process when addressing potential triggers for meltdowns. Collaboratively problem-solve and find solutions together. This not only empowers your child but also reinforces a sense of control and autonomy, reducing feelings of frustration and the likelihood of meltdowns.
A different blog post on the Calm Caterpillar website mentions a thoughtful technique that could easily be added to your child’s repertoire of emotional regulation tools. The technique is called Hand Breathing, and involves tracing your fingers, breathing in while tracing upwards and breathing out while tracing downwards.
A child friendly graphic accompanying the post includes an empowering message: “I have the power to change the way I feel with my hands and breath.”
The method helps to bring your child’s focus back to the present moment, back to problem solving.
In 2019, the University of Cincinnati conducted a study considering the effects of integrating mindfulness practices like The Calm Caterpillar’s into school curriculums and found that “students receiving the program were rated with fewer conduct problems and improved social competence and prosocial behavior over time relative to control students.”
Rockwern’s January 14 program for young adults promises to be a friendly evening of socializing, adult beverages, delicious appetizers, and learning new skills to apply to parenting.
Space is limited, please RSVP by January 7.
