When I Slow Down

When I Slow Down is a calming social-emotional learning children’s book that encourages mindfulness, emotional awareness, self-regulation, and reflective thinking through gentle storytelling and quiet moments of observation.

PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK

This resource helps children develop emotional regulation, calmness, self-awareness, and mindfulness skills. It supports emotionally safe learning environments by encouraging children to slow down, reflect, breathe, and process emotions in healthy and accessible ways.

USING THIS RESOURCE AS LEARNING TOOL

1. Consult our Wild to Calm poster as supporting learning material.
2. Read the story slowly in a calm and quiet environment with minimal distractions.
3. Pause throughout the story to encourage breathing, reflection, mindfulness, and emotional check-ins.
4. Ask children to notice how their thoughts, feelings, and bodies respond during the reading experience.
5. Reinforce the themes through calming routines, journaling, drawing, breathing activities, or quiet discussion exercises.
6. Revisit the story regularly during transitions, wellbeing lessons, bedtime routines, or calm-down periods.