A way back to the room

The sheet

A short noticing game on one side and a figure of eight to trace on the other, practised together on calm days.

Pocket card · A4, four cards to cut, two sides · Two pages · PDF, 56 KB

How it helps

When a child is caught up in panic or a big worry, noticing what they can see, hear and touch, and slowing their breathing, can bring them back to the room they are in. Practised on calm days, it’s there for them on a hard one.

How to use it

Print on both sides, flipping on the long edge, and cut out the cards. One side, the senses, is for children aged seven and over; the other, the figure of eight, is for children aged five to nine.
On a calm day, practise it together a few times: go through the senses, or trace the figure of eight slowly, breathing in along one loop and out along the other, each breath slower, not deeper.
Keep a card where your child can reach it: in their pocket, their bag, or by their bed.
When a hard moment comes, do it with them and keep your words few. They can skip any part.

How to get this sheet

This sheet comes with a subscription. It is also yours with its chapter, if that is the chapter you read free, or if a teacher or therapist sends it to you. School staff and therapists signed in to their shelf can print it too.

It goes with When Reassurance Stops Working and Anxiety, by Age.

Free to print

These are free to anyone, with nothing to sign up for.

Every sheet, marked free or with a subscription, is at theparentbook.com/printables.

The rest of the library

The Parent Book is a library written by therapists: chapters on the situations parents bring to our therapy rooms most often, quick tips for tonight, things to do together, and every sheet to print. One subscription opens all of it, from the day you join.

Subscribe to the library

£129 a year, by Direct Debit.

The Direct Debit is set up now and the first payment is taken on the next collection date. It renews each year on the anniversary of that payment. Change your mind in the first fourteen days and we refund you in full; after that, you can cancel at any time from your account page and read to the end of the year you have paid for.

Start your subscription

Already a subscriber? Sign in School staff: the teachers’ shelf

If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis: NHS 111 · England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 · 24/7.
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves: Childline · 0800 1111 · 24/7 · www.childline.org.uk.
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you would prefer to text rather than speak: Shout · Text SHOUT to 85258 · 24/7 · giveusashout.org.
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to: Samaritans · 116 123 · 24/7 · www.samaritans.org.

If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.