When a child is about to shout, hit out, freeze or run away from a difficult feeling, the CALM steps give them a simple sequence to follow before reacting. The poster is designed as a quick visual prompt for managing anger, worry, sadness, fear and other strong emotions in a safer, more thoughtful way.
The one-page poster uses the acronym CALM across four sections. C stands for Cool Down, with prompts to take a break, breathe slowly, count to 10 and give yourself time to calm down. A stands for Acknowledge Your Feelings, encouraging children to notice what they feel, accept that feelings such as sad, mad, worried or scared are okay, and name the emotion.
L stands for Let It Out Safely, suggesting movement, drawing, talking or writing as safe ways to express what is going on inside. M stands for Make a Good Choice, reminding children to think about what will help themselves and others, then choose kind, safe and helpful actions.
Bright cartoon animals, bold lettering and short phrases make the emotional regulation strategy accessible for younger children, especially in primary school settings, family support work, counselling sessions and nurture rooms. Parents, teachers, social workers and child therapists could use it before tricky moments, during restorative conversations, or as part of a coping skills display.
The message at the bottom, “You can’t stop big feelings, but you can choose how to handle them”, reinforces self-control without shaming the child for having emotions. The poster credits Edita Stiborova and is well suited to children who benefit from simple, memorable calming strategies and visual behaviour support.
