Instead of fighting residual energy, spend it on purpose. Two minutes of jumping, spinning, or shaking right before the routine begins. The body exhausts what's left. The wind-down becomes easy because there's nothing left to wind down from.
How to do it
- 1"You have two minutes of silliness. Go." Full permission.
- 2Jump, shake, spin, make noise. Anything physical. Let it be genuinely chaotic.
- 3Set a timer. When it goes off: 'Silliness is done. Now we're slow.'
- 4Transition immediately, firm and warm. The crash happens on its own.
Variations
- **Korb-Tür:** If they won't move or say "I don't want to": Start moving yourself. Shake, jump, make it obviously fun without them. "Your loss. I'm having all the silliness." Most join in when it looks fun without them.
- **Ausstieg:** Set a timer. When it goes off: "Silliness is done. Now we're slow." Transition immediately to the routine, firm and warm. No extension, no negotiation.
💡 Parent tip
The timer is non-negotiable. Two minutes is enough. More than two re-energises rather than depletes. Set it, hold it, transition. Don't soften it.
What your child develops
- Body regulation — deliberate energy discharge leads to natural calm
- Transition clarity — a sharp boundary between active and sleep modes
- Self-directed movement — using the body intentionally rather than reactively
Safety notes
- Clear the area of sharp-cornered furniture before starting.
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