Soothing Sammy Social Skills Set

What is it?

Does your child ever have a meltdown or tantrum?

Young children experience emotions in a BIG way. Soothing Sammy teaches you and your child how to manage these emotions in a way that is EASY for children to understand and SIMPLE for parents to implement!!

Your child will learn:

1. How to process their feelings.
2. How to identify their emotions.
3. Simple ways to problem solve.

These calm-down techniques can be used anywhere and at anytime! 

This 4- Piece Sammy Set Includes:

1) Children's Book - Explains Calm Down Techniques:

This simple and delightful story starts by introducing children who are feeling upset. Sammy, (the golden retriever), shows the children how calm down with items he has in his dog home. Once the children have calmed down, Sammy and his human friends ask the children questions to help them identify their feelings and solve their problem.

2) Soothing Sammy Plush Dog (11.5"L x 3.5"W x 10"H) - Implement Skills Learned in the Children's Book:

Using an empty box or container, follow the directions in the back of the book to construct a "Sammy house" for this machine washable version of Sammy (the golden retriever from the story), the plush toy dog. Place Sammy, into his new home and fill it with common household items. When your child feels upset, redirect them to the Sammy house to help them calm down. This house looks just like the house in the Children's book, giving children a practical way to use the strategies they have learned. Plush is machine washable and safe for children ages 2 years old and up.

3) Parent Guide - Incorporate Sammy's lessons into your everyday life. Topics include:

• Sharing space and items with other children.
  
• Encouraging your child to listen.
• Helping your child express their feelings.
• Preventing your child from becoming frustrated.
• Transitioning to and from different activities.
• Following Directions.

4) Emotions & Feelings Activities E-Book - Teach your child the words to use to identify their emotions:

The "Emotions and Feelings" Theme activities provide opportunities for vocabulary building and academic development while learning to identify feelings in themselves and others. There are so many different feelings and it is hard for children to put those feelings into words. These play-based activities use items typically found around a home to support emotional competency. (This Digital E-Book will be sent to you immediately upon purchase.)

The children's book, along with Sammy the plush dog, E-book of Activities and parent guide, create a complementary set of tools that every home (or classroom) with young children will appreciate.

* See the bottom of this page for Customer Reviews

** To learn about Jeana Kinne, the Author, click here.

Why are Sensory Strategies important?

As adults, we seek out calming sensory activities when we feel stressed or upset - such as sipping coffee, chewing gum, going on a walk/run, putting on fragrant hand lotion or smelling essential oils. Throughout our life experiences, we have learned what techniques help us calm down. Sammy is here to help young children learn safe strategies they can use to calm themselves down.

You may have noticed, when children become mad or upset, it is hard to have a conversation with them.  Children become overwhelmed with emotion and ignore adult advice/redirection. This isn't because your child is mean or rude, it's simply because they need time to process what has happened and figure out why their body is reacting in such a strong way.

Throughout the story, children visit Sammy, the golden retriever, who introduces them to different calming strategies such as looking at a photo, smelling a rose, listening to a favorite song, crunching on a favorite snack and more! Each item Sammy introduces to the children impacts one or more components of a child's sensory system, teaching children that there are ways to calm their body when they feel overwhelmed.

Once calm, Sammy teaches the children how to process their feelings and solve problems with adult support. There are different emotional levels that all humans experience. Low levels are when you are calm and can talk through a situation. High levels include extreme anger/frustration/sadness often described as ‘losing it’. When children are at a high emotional level, talking to them is not helpful.

The solution is TIME. Give your child time, along with some calming strategies, so they can return to a "calm-level." This "time" is often displayed when children seek out hugs or cuddles when they are sad. They need some quiet time while being comforted so they can process their emotions. Once they have calmed down, they can respond to an adults questions.

How can Sammy help?

This Sammy program helps by:

1. Using the "Soothing Sammy" story to teach children the sensory strategies they need to calm down.

2. Supports carry-over of these strategies into your daily family life by constructing a "Sammy house" for the plush toy dog (included) to live in.  Sammy's house incorporates common household items which provide soothing components your child can access when they become upset.

3. The parent guide discusses a variety of ways which your family can incorporate Sammy's lessons into your everyday life, including:

• Sharing space and items with other children.
  
• Preventing your child from becoming frustrate.
• Transitioning to and from different activities.
• Following Directions.

The children's book, along with Sammy the plush dog and parent guide, create a complementary set of tools that every home (or classroom) with young children will appreciate.

 

Customer Reviews:

"Soothing Sammy is a great book that helps children express their feelings in a positive way. My 2 and 11 yrs old kids love it! My 11yrs old daughter said “I wish I had Sammy in my life when I was younger.” She also had a great time building Sammy’s house. I definitely recommend it." - Maria

"Parenting is hard work! Children do not come with instructions, so knowing how to handle their emotional needs is so hard. Thanks to Soothing Sammy I am better equipped to help my children through their melt-downs and tantrums. Since grabbing this set I have seen not only a difference in my children but a difference in how I handle them in the hard moments. I definitely recommend this set to every parent." - Stephanie

"My daughter and I had fun reading and building Sammy’s house. She loves Sammy! So far it has helped her feel better when upset. She has chosen something to crunch on when mad and then hugging Sammy when sad. We keep it i the living room where she will hopefully continue to use it. " - Jennifer

"Like many kids, my three year old often gets sad and has a hard time expressing himself. Soothing Sammy has helped him identify a toolkit full of tools that he can choose from based on the situation. The tools allow him to calm down, sooth, and verbally express himself so we can address the reasoning behind his emotion. " - Nancy

"I order Sammy for my 7 year old son who sometimes gets angry and has a hard time controlling his emotions. Sammy arrived today and he was very excited to see what he was about. We read the book together and have already talk about how he was going to decorate his home. I am hopeful that this is going to be a great teaching tool for him and that Sammy is going to become a big part of helping him control his emotions. We are very excited to but these new teaching tools into our everyday lives. Sammy is super cute and the book is at a reading level that young children can read on there own. " - Heidi

For More Reviews: