calm down bottle

As many of my friends know, my oldest son has been having a lot of anger outbursts lately. I was literally at my wits end and then I remembered something I had pinned on Pinterest. The calm down jar. The idea is pretty simple - Shake bottle to release frustration and then sit and watch the glitter fall to the bottom. Once the glitter is settled, continue playing. So it's technically a time out, but he will never know.*

Things you will need:

a clear bottle (I used a generic tall water bottle I found at WalMart)

glitter glue

ultra fine glitter in same color as glue

clear tacky glue

water

baby oil

large bowl

funnel

1. Start by removing the label.

2. Pour a small amount of baby oil on the sticky part where the label came off. A small amount goes a long way.

3. Wash excess oil off of bottle.

4. Fill bottle 3/4 full of water and then dump water into the bowl.

5. Heat water in microwave until VERY hot. This helps the glue break up in the water, rather than remain a glob.

6. Pour the glitter glue and ultra fine glitter into the water.

7. Whisk until all globs are gone.

8. Using the funnel, pour mixture into bottle.

9. Add tacky glue and extra water a little at a time until you achieve the amount wanted to settle. This part takes some time since you will be shaking, waiting and timing.

10. During the next meltdown, have your kiddo shake and watch. 

*Also works on adults. It was very calming to watch the glitter fall.

original post here: My Crazy Blessed Life