Have you ever been so engrossed in an activity that you didn’t want to stop?

What about so excited by a sporting event or concert that it took you over an hour to calm yourself down?

These moments of excitement, or even over-excitement, happen to adults AND children. Adults have the ability to manage their over-excitement, while children might find themselves overcome with the emotion.

Let’s look at a few ways you can help your child understand when they are feeling over-excited, plus identify tools they can use to self-regulate this emotion.

What To Do When Your Child Is Over-Excited

First, observe the situations in which your child becomes overly-excited or over-stimulated. Birthday parties, playing with large groups of peers or family events may all be triggers.

Next, determine what helps your child calm down the best. Do they respond well to quiet time alone in a separate room? Do they simply need a quiet reminder to take a few deep breaths? Perhaps they need a quick walk around the block with mom or dad!

Every child is unique, so try a few variations and find out what helps your child the most.

Lastly, watch for triggers or signs that your child may be getting over-excited. Step in before the situation gets out of hand with the calming techniques you’ve previously identified.

When you see your child getting overly excited, simply remark on the emotion to help your child identify how they are feeling. “I see that playing with your friends is exciting. It’s time to take a few breaths to calm down, then you can continue to play.”

In this way, you’ve helped your child put a label to the emotion they are feeling, plus given them a coping technique to self-regulate.

Amanda Morin has some additional advice: “Giving your child a heads-up that he’ll have to move on to another activity soon can help him prepare – and may reduce meltdowns.”

A child’s excitement is contagious! But too much of a good thing can also be problematic. Use the steps above to help your child understand when they are getting over-excited. Then, step back and enjoy their enthusiasm together!

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