Daily Rhythm & Playful tools for building emotional security in a sensitive child

The much dreaded summer holidays are here !! While its loads of fun with grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins visiting us, it also poses its challenges. Like that of how to structure your day so that it does not melt into complete chaos. Much of my own schedule depended on my son's school schedule. Daily run to school at 7am, then my own time until late afternoons. Lunch, playground time, dinner sleep. as mundane as it may sound, this schedule helped me structure my work at my own pace and chug slowly on the productivity train. But now with vacations, its chaos! 

So here is my attempt to put some structure to the daily circadian rhythm, to provide much needed clam for both me and my little one. 

🌞 Daily Rhythm for Emotional Security

Here’s a gentle routine to give his day structure while keeping things flexible:

Morning

• Wake up cuddle & morning song
• Breakfast and chat about the day ahead
• Free play (blocks, art, pretend play)

Midday

• Snack & storytime (cozy and calm)
• Outdoor time or movement break (bike, park, or obstacle course at home)
• Lunch
• Quiet time (books, puzzles, music—alone or together)

Evening

• Screen-free wind-down play
• Dinner & family chat (share "3 happy things" from the day - builds gratitude)
• Change into jammies, read together a bedtime story

Lights out with soft music or bedtime meditation

To augment the daily schedule, here are some easy tools to calm us down during those tantrums and other stressful moments. 

🎨 Playful Tools to Build Emotional Strength

1. Feelings Weather Board
   Each morning, ask: “What’s the weather in your heart today?”
   Let him point to sunny, cloudy, stormy, etc.—then talk about it together. 
2. Calm-down Box
   Fill a small bin with things he loves: a soft toy, a lavender-scented beanbag, a mini pinwheel to blow, a picture of a happy memory, a glitter jar… Use it when he’s overwhelmed. This is great for self-regulation. 
3. Magic Breaths
   Teach him to pretend his finger is a candle:
   Slowly breathe in… and blow the candle out.
   Make it playful by imagining different candle smells or colors.
4. The “When I Feel...” Book
   Create a DIY picture book with him. Each page says:
   "When I feel [angry/sad/frustrated], I can... [hug a pillow / stomp outside / ask for help]."
   Illustrate together! This is great for co-regulation. 

These gentle, playful tools can help kids feel understood, empowered, and safe—all while protecting that happy sparkle they already have. 

References: In her article "Routines and child development: A systematic review", Seliha B. Selman and Janean E. Dilworth-Bart underline the protective power of routines in challenging environments.