Therapeutic tool!
I am going to start posting therapeutic tools to use with your parenting. They will be simple tools to use. Today’s tool is chewing gum!
When your child is having trouble with their anxiety and can’t seem to keep their hands out of their mouths or their sleeves away from their teeth, chewing gum can be an amazing tool to help them regulate their emotions.
Chewing uses muscles that will help them lower their cortisol levels. Keeping their mouths busy can also negate their use of fingers and clothing in their mouths, it redirects them. Chewing can also be calming as they taste something sweet/minty and smell it too. Chewing gum can also calm a tummy that thinks it is hungry.
Chewing gum is easy to carry, cheap, and can be a great tool to have on hand to help your child calm down when it is needed.