“Then You Calm Down.” 3-Yr-Old Takes Life Lesson From Mom To Soothe Upset Cousin.

a two-photo collage. the first is of a 3-year-old talking to his little cousin who is smiling. the photo is captioned with the 3-year-old saying “I’m not angry.” the second is of those same little boys hugging.

Try as they may, every parent ends up asking themselves, “Do my kids ever hear a word I say?”

It might not always feel like it, but as Destiny Bennett recently learned, kids actually take in the lessons they’re taught more often than we think. Recently, she’s been trying to help her 3-year-old learn how to deal with anger. To help him process this difficult emotion, she’s been guiding him through a breathing exercise… that he rejects.

Just when Destiny felt as though nothing she had been saying was getting through to him, something amazing happened. When her little nephew fell off his bike and started to cry, her 3-year-old was quick to comfort him. He started by teaching him how to breathe just like his mom had taught him.

After a few deep breaths, Destiny’s son offered the now calm boy a much needed kiss and hug. Then, after just a few moments, the two of them were back to running around and playing with the dog!

“Keep giving them emotional regulation tools, keep showing them what love, kindness and respect looks like,” Destiny wrote on Instagram. “Keep creating teachable moments. Even when it seems like they aren’t listening…..they are. We are creating our future society.”

Watch Destiny’s 3-year-old comfort his cousin below, and don’t forget to share.

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