Words That Regulate

The most powerful de-escalation phrase is: "I'm right here." Three words. No logic. No fixing. Just presence. A melting-down child needs to know they are not alone in their chaos.

Other phrases that lower the temperature:

• "This is really hard for you right now"
• "I can handle this — you don't need to hold it together"
• "Your feelings make sense"
• "We'll figure this out together"

Avoid questions during peak meltdown. "What's wrong?" requires cognitive processing that is literally offline. "What do you need?" puts the burden of problem-solving on a child who cannot think. Just narrate and stay close.