Teach children a calming activity that focuses their attention on God and helps them manage their emotions.
This beautifully illustrated and empathetically written book walks children through a calming activity that focuses their attention on God and helps them manage their emotions.
Through a combination of slow breathing, prayer and focusing on five things about God and his good gifts, children will learn to count themselves calm. Children can practise this calming activity while you read them the book and then use it when they feel upset, sad, angry, worried, anxious or scared.
This resource is a great tool to equip children 4-7 years old to regulate their emotions and calm down.
Count Yourself Calm activity
Emotions Wheel
Note for Parents
| Age range: | 4+ |
|---|---|
| Contributors | Eliza Huie, Mike Henson |
| ISBN | 9781784989330 |
| Format | eBook |
| First published | April 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | The Good Book Company |
A sweet, winsome way to point children to the Lord while giving them tangible
help in calming strong emotions.
I wholeheartedly commend Eliza Huie to you, and specifically this biblically focused, practically effective book that will help children to cast their cares on God.
This wonderful little book acknowledges children’s strong emotions and helpfully gives a model that takes the child (and adult) to our heavenly Father.
I bought this on preorder in the hope it would be helpful for reading with my four year old when his emotions get too big but sadly it's been a big disappointment.
The idea is nice - taking the "5 senses" grounding technique and directing it towards God.
Unfortunately by doing so it loses the thing that makes the technique work - that they are looking for something concrete and immediate - and turns it into something abstract, which kids of this age are simply not capable of.
We couldn't manage it when calm so have never been able to use it when things get difficult.
I gave it two stars rather than one because my 7 year old enjoys reading it.
Good for littles and my 10 year old to read
Our four kids love this book. It’s a favorite with our three-year-old. We’ve seen him use the techniques described in the book when big feelings overwhelm him. It has beautiful, engaging pictures. There are Scripture passages to support each step. It’s been so helpful to our family!
How can you teach your kids to properly express and control their emotions? In Count Yourself Calm, Eliza Huie shares five simple steps for taking big feelings to a big God.
Aimed at 4-7 year olds, this book is an adaptation of a calming activity that uses the five senses. In this book, your children will be redirect their focus on God as they manage their emotions. It is simple and straightforward, giving practical steps to give our anger, anxiousness, and attention to God.
God Changes Hearts
The illustrations by Mike Henson were friendly with striking colors. My children enjoyed the Emotions Wheel towards the back of the book, to help them describe how they feel. We’ve been working with our children in giving them different words and ways to express their emotions, and this was a great resource to use.
I most appreciated the fact that the book asks your children to focus on two promises of God that gives hope. I recently learned that we must teach our children that change is possible, and this book reminds us that this what God does. He changes our hearts, and it’s a prayer that I want for myself as well as my children.
I received a media copy of Count Yourself Calm and this is my honest review.
This is a lovely short book for young children to help them understand how to talk about their feelings with God, whatever those feelings are! It's simple and to the point, but I can imagine it being something to read together when things are tough, or just a technique to learn to use alone. The illustrations are lovely too. A great present for a young child to work through with a parent or guardian together
I know my home is full of big feelings these days! We could use all the help we can get to name & respond to those emotions. This book is so helpful in teaching that process to kids & adults alike. The colorful illustrations help with the kids remember what they read. And it’s all based in Scripture!
My four and six year old often have a hard time calming down when they get worked up. I think this book will be helpful for them to practice and be able to calm themselves down.
The book itself has engaging and colorful pictures and is really nicely made and illustrated.
The practice of calming down involves teaching them how to take deep breaths and then counting down from 5 and thinking of different things that make them feel happy, at peace, and encouraged. It also directs their attention to God and who he is. Because that’s really how we learn to manage our emotions- with God’s help.
I really like the ‘feelings’ wheel at the end of the book. If my kids aren’t sure how to describe what they’re feeling I think that will be helpful to them to be able to point to how they feel.
I would definitely recommend this God-focused book on calming down!
As a mama, I was so happy to discover a book that teaches mindfulness from a Christian perspective! Over the years of toddler hood and through preschool, my daughter and I have read a handful of books that focus on calming techniques and mindfulness, but this was the first one that gave practical , easy to follow advice paired with Scripture and I LOVED it!
Using vibrant, rainbow-colored illustrations, this sweet book helps young children understand that it is okay to have a bad day and experience a wide range of big feelings. It instructs them on a simple breathing technique that they can pair with a short prayer when emotions surge in their little hearts and minds. I love that the prayer focuses on trusting in God.
After a deep breath, the book then uses mindfulness by counting down from five. With short and to-the-point book words, the book encourages children to name the people and things that God has given them which bring them love, joy, peace and hope, with a final reminder to describe one attribute of God. Each countdown page has a short Bible verse, offering an excellent way to tuck God’s word into their little hearts and encourage their minds, giving them the strength to face their feelings.
This book is incredible! It is so profound, yet engaging, simple and fun. It is also a great reminder for children and adults alike to keep our minds focused on God and what He has given us, as well as on what He has promised us when times are hard. A definite recommendation for any young child’s library!
* I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and all thoughts below are my own. I was not required to post a positive review.
For anyone who has had anxiety in the past, they may be familiar with grounding themselves by counting five things to help them relax as that is a common way given to help yourself. Count Yourself Calm by Eliza Huie helps children use this tool from a Christian perspective.
Count Yourself Calm has bright fun illustrations from Mike Henson. He does a great job of bringing the needed actions to life in this book and helping children see what to do. This isn't the typical children's bedtime book. This is a book that could help children on difficult days to face feelings of anxiety, fear, anger, and more. The book helps direct children towards remembering that they are not alone and God is with them. At the same time, they are actively doing something to help calm their bodies down, along with their minds. I think Count Yourself Calm is a great book to help children deal with difficult feelings and to look to God as part of the solution. I wish I had had it when my son was little. Honestly, I think it is a good reminder to adults to also take time to pray, breathe and remember God is with them in various ways.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions within this review are my own.
Count Yourself Calm is the first children’s book by author, licensed clinical professional counselor, and certified Biblical counselor, Eliza Huie. This book is a fun and practical tool for helping young children learn self control with their emotions. Count Yourself Calm contains vibrant illustrations that drew my children in. I was so grateful to see my four year old sitting and looking through the book on her own multiple times because she was captivated by its pictures.
The book includes 5 steps for children to take when they are feeling upset. Each step points children to God and this aspect of the book greatly encouraged my heart! The process of counting yourself calm begins by taking a deep breath and praying through Proverbs 3:5. As children go through the steps, they are essentially being trained to take their eyes off their circumstances and direct their gaze to God.
Although this is a book for children, I’ve actually found the 5 steps to be beneficial for me. This is a resource my family will use regularly and we look forward to reading more from Eliza Huie in the future!
I received Count Yourself Calm compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.
