6-Year-Old Coaches Younger Brother Through Tantrum Using Calming Breathing Technique

Mar 30, 2021 by apost team

Being a child is a beautiful period of human development — life is still very straightforward and although some things can feel like the end of the world, there are often no real worries to think about. Adults appreciate a child's honesty and directness, but the other side of that coin is when a child isn't able to control their emotions. Particularly with young children who are just learning basic human skills like walking and talking, it's only natural that they haven't yet learned how to control emotions like anger, sadness and frustration.

That's why it's very common to see children throwing tantrums to get what they want. They're too young and unaware to stop and think calmly about the situation, so instead, they jump straight to crying, loud wailing, and sometimes even banging their arms and legs on the floor. It's not a pretty sight but we adults know that they simply don't know better. 

Well, what if you could teach a child to be calmer by taking deep breaths and slowing down? It might seem complicated, considering even some adults don't know how to control their emotions, but it's certainly not impossible. In fact, one 6-year-old boy was able to coach his 4-year-old brother into calming down from an impending tantrum just by using this technique in California in March of 2021. Hard to believe right? Thankfully the boys' mother captured the adorable moment on video, and the internet can't get enough. We're sure the adults don't just think it's cute, but perhaps they could learn a thing or two from this cool-headed kid! 

Parenting is not easy, in fact, many say it's the hardest thing you can do in life. There are so many things to think about when raising a child — instilling good values and manners, consideration for others, ambition to go out there and achieve things in their life, and the list goes on. 

There is also no such thing as a perfect parent. No matter how well you raise your child, it's only expected that some things they have to go through on their own. One of those things is how to handle their emotions. Children can become easily excitable or incredibly sad in an instant. Before they're old enough to learn to navigate tricky emotions, the result can be outbursts of either tears, rage, or pent-up energy. 

But one 6-year-old boy may hold the answer to how to "coach" young children into navigating these behaviors in a calmer way. Named Noah, the boy saw that his 4-year-old brother Cory was beginning to have a tantrum, a sudden welling up of emotion that he didn't know how to handle, and it all looked to be spilling out at any moment. So naturally, Noah did what he knew best to do in the situation, no doubt because he already went through a similar feeling before. He coached his younger brother into breathing slowly and deeply in order to calm him down using a technique he had learned from their mom. The boys' mom, named Ashley West, happened to take a video of the situation and the internet is incredibly impressed.

apost.com

In the video, Cory's wails can be heard, as Noah stands in front of him trying to make him focus. He's breathing in and out deeply while moving his hands to demonstrate the action. Cory's crying begins to get louder, suggesting he could tip over at any moment into a proper tantrum, but Noah looks at his brother calmly and tells him to "breath, like that." 

As if a magic spell had been spun, Cory's crying completely stops, and his body language is instantly more relaxed. The video ends with big brother Noah patting Cory on the back and telling him "see," as he now knows what it means to be calm. 

The video was shared by West on her Twitter account, where she captioned it:

"My four year old was about to have a whole tantrum and my 6 year old helped him manage his breathing so he could calm down.... I’d say I’m doing freaking alright"

West is definitely teaching her children right and Noah appears to have a very gentle and calming energy that will no doubt continue to serve him as he gets older. But it doesn't explain why Cory was crying in the first place. West cleared that up on Twitter too, explaining that Cory wanted to play Nintendo and the console needed to be recharged. After waiting all of one second for it to instantly recharge itself, Cory broke down as he realized he couldn't play immediately. Who can blame him for breaking down! But thanks to his calming older brother, Cory's tantrum was diverted.

Filling in more about the story to her Twitter followers, West said that before she started filming, Noah was even spouting words of wisdom to his younger brother, telling him:

"I understand the pain I do but you just have to wait it’s not done yet.”

At this rate, Noah looks set to become a counselor or psychologist when he's older. Which wouldn't make him fall too far from the tree — West is taking classes to become a social worker, which is where she's had the insight to instill such good values into her children. She also does yoga, and it seems like Noah is following in her very grounded footsteps. West said that she has three children, all boys, but that Noah, who is the middle child, is "definitely the sweetest of the bunch."

But West was also realistic with her followers, explaining that her sons' progress took time and that Cory's temperament used to be much worse. She points out that she's not perfect, that no mother is, and that although she doesn't "have all the answers [she's] really just trying to raise some emotionally healthy kids!" 

In just one week the video amassed 7.3 million views and we can clearly see why. Noah is an anomaly of a child. While all children are different and it's perfectly normal for them to have outbursts of uncontrollable emotion as they're growing up, it's just mesmerizing to witness a child that not only keeps his cool but also teaches those around him to be calm themselves. Not only could this video of Noah help other children potentially learn how to control their emotions, but it might even help some adults out too!

Have you ever seen a young child coach another into remaining calm instead of having an outburst? What did you think of the adorable video? If you learned something from this then pass it on to your friends and family!