Leo is a little boy. He is three. It is bedtime soon.
Leo sits on the rug with his toy cars. “Vroom, vroom,” he says. Mom folds pajamas. Dad puts a book on the bed. The room is warm and quiet.
Mom says, “Time for bath, Leo.”
Leo's hands stop. His tummy feels tight, like a small knot. His face gets hot. His eyebrows go down. “No,” Leo says. His voice is loud. “No bath!”
Mom comes close. She sits by him. “I hear you,” Mom says. “Your voice is big. Are you feeling mad?”
Leo blinks. His chest feels bumpy, like a drum. “Mad,” Leo says. “Grrr!”
Dad nods. “Mad is ok,” Dad says. “Mad is a real feeling.”
Mom points softly. “Where is mad in your body?”
Leo puts a hand on his tummy. “Here,” he says.
Mom says, “Let's help your tummy. We can do slow breaths. Smell the flower… sniff sniff… then blow the candle… whooo.”
Leo tries. “Sniff sniff… whooo.” His shoulders drop a little.
Dad says, “We can stomp, too. Stomp stomp, then stop.” They stomp two times. “Stomp! Stomp!” Then they freeze like statues. “Stop.” Leo giggles. “Hee-hee.”
Mom says, “Do you want to tell us why you feel mad?”
Leo looks at his cars. “I want more play,” he says, quiet now.
Mom smiles. “You want more play. Thank you for telling me.” She looks at the clock. “We can play for two more minutes. Then bath. I will set the timer.”
Mom taps the timer. “Beep beep.”
Leo plays fast. “Vroom! Hop!” The timer rings. “Beep beep!”
Leo's tummy tightens again, just a bit. He holds Mom's hand. “I feel mad,” he says.
Mom says, “Good words, Leo. Let's do one more breath.” “Sniff sniff… whooo.”
They walk to the bathroom. The water runs. “Shhh.” Dad drops in a cup. “Plouf!” Leo smiles. He pours water. “Plouf, plouf.” He washes his arms. “Splash splash.”
After the bath, pajamas go on. “Zip-zip.” Leo snuggles in bed. Mom reads a short book. Dad rubs Leo's back in slow circles.
Leo whispers, “Mad went small.”
Mom whispers, “Yes. You listened to your body.”
Moral: When you feel mad, you can name it, breathe, and ask for help with kind words.
