TIP of the WEEK: Staying Calm

Staying calm in the middle of a crisis is a skill that takes many years of practice but the rewards are endless. When you are calm your child will be able to deescalate faster. Seeing your strength will help them maintain their mood better and will, in some cases, avert a bigger incident. That is not saying that your reaction will make or break a situation or that it can help to avoid one but it will help everyone involved to stay focused.

Don’t show that you are embarrassed. Even if you are. If your child is trying to get a reaction from you, being embarrassed by their behavior will make the situation much, much worse. If you are in public ignore the people around you. It’s hard, yes, but it can be done.

Take deep breathes and watch your tone of voice. Whisper if you can. Often times your child will want to hear what you are saying and stop yelling in order to hear you. If you try to raise your voice over theirs you have just entered a shouting match that you will never, ever win.

Your child will likely fall asleep after an incident. If possible you should try to do the same.

You never want to be in a situation in public or in front of friends or family but it does happen and your reaction will set the stage for everyone around you.
Most importantly, move on. When it’s over it’s over. Focus on the good and help your child learn better options for the next time.

Patrice Carroll is Latham Centers’ world-renowned Prader-Willi Syndrome specialist. She works with Latham Centers’ residents with PWS, their families and consultants, continuously learning and teaching about PWS best practices.