Soothing Sammy Sensory

What are sensory strategies and who uses them?

Close your eyes and think about something that made you mad or frustrated. How do you feel when you think about it?  Does your heart start racing? Do your hands clench a little? Is your internal temperature rising?

When children feel their body start to “fume” they react.  Reactions don’t involve thinking about WHY they feel the way they feel. This is why you see young children throwing objects (that they are frustrated with), hitting the toddler sitting next to them (because they are in their space) or running the other direction when mom says it’s time to leave the park.

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. 

 

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. 

Soothing Sammy teaches children how to calm down with sensory strategies when they feel overwhelmed, just like adults do. Throughout the story, children visit Sammy, the golden retriever, who introduces them to different objects that can be used to calm down. These sensory object include a photo to look at, a flower to smell, a song to sing or listen to .. and so much more! Each item Sammy introduces impacts one or more components of a child's sensory system (sight, smell, hearing, touch, taste, movement... ect). 

 

 

Once calm, Sammy teaches the children in the story how to talk about their feelings and solve the problem. 

Teach your child these important skills today!