That’s the takeaway from a conversation I had with the director of the Montessori school at which I work. The director had been describing a child who sometimes became overwhelmed and upset at school. A couple months into the school year, the child still feels overwhelmed at times yet now is able to regain composure much more quickly than at the beginning of the year. “She still gets upset…and she is able to come back,” the director said.

That describes all of us methinks. We get upset about something in our lives, like when you hit every red light on the way to work or someone steals the catalytic convertor from your car (that just happened to me!)  And yet, at some point, we can come back to ourselves and restore our composure.

As my conversation continued with the director, I mentioned that at a bookclub meeting, I had become overwhelmed and upset. I said my reaction might seem a little bit crazy, at which point my director reassuringly remarked, “We are all a little bit crazy sometimes.” I smiled and responded, “And we can come back.”

Young children, with their BIG feelings, are no different. Which can be a challenge for everyone, the children themselves and the adults around them. It can be challenging to come back from those BIG feelings. Which is one reason I like using The Happenings Mat for those moments.

At the mat, everyone can stop, take three slow breaths and talk about what happened and their feelings and needs. Everyone can come back from feeling a little bit crazy. We can revisit what triggered us and brainstorm possibilities for what we could do differently next time.