If your child is having nightmares, you can use guided activities to help soothe them and calm them down.
Ask your child to imagine locking the bad dream away in a box.
Imagine a big truck carrying the box away. Then see the box loaded onto a big ship.
The ship sails far out to sea and drops the box into the water. See it sinking down, down, down to the bottom of the deep, deep ocean.
Ask them to tighten each set of muscles, hold for a few seconds and then let go.
Notice how the muscles become soft and relaxed.
Start with the toes then the legs, bottom, stomach, shoulders, arms, hands and finally the face.
This advice was written by our experienced Parent Talk coaches. Parent Talk is a free online service for parents and carers, provided by the charity Action for Children. For more advice, message our parenting coaches with our online chat.
