If your kids get overstimulated like mine, you might need to help them regulate. How does this work? Sometimes we take a towel and wipe the yuckies off. Sometimes we rock in the rocking chair with deep squeezes. But our most successful is a reset.

If you are Xennial or Millennial, you know the code. Maybe even late Gen X would know it. Do you? 

But how do you input the code? Good question. The overstimulated child must turn around with their back to you. All the better to not have them screaming directly in your face.

up up: tap their upper back twice between their shoulder blades. 

down down: tap their lower back twice just above their butt crack—this usually gets them to crack a smile. 

left right: squeeze the left shoulder followed by the right shoulder 

left right: repeat

B A: squeeze their left butt cheek followed by their right butt cheek—they may start to quite

B A: repeat—giggles start

select: squeeze their neck—giggles increase

start: push their top of their head—full blown reset

The most important part of the process is to turn them around and give them a big hug while they dissolve into giggles due to butt cheek squeezes.

I am writing for the 19th annual Slice of Life challenge presented by Two Writing Teachers.