Boss yourself around! That's one of the self-control ideas we're learning in kindergarten guidance classes. Since strong feelings can come upon us anytime and anyplace, we need to have some ways that we can ALWAYS use to calm down as well as some ways we can SOMETIMES use (such as talk, rest, exercise, play). The ways we can always use are breathe, count, click, boss, and push-pull-dangle. After introducing the first four ideas to a kindergarten class last week, the children and I practiced taking deep belly-breaths, counting backwards slowly, clicking onto happy thoughts, and bossing ourselves around. We learned that it's not good to boss your FRIENDS around, but telling yourSELF to do the right thing is helpful. While we were practicing this bossing technique, we stuck our bossing fingers in our faces and said such things to ourselves as, "Calm down. Chill! Get a grip. Suck it up, Baby! Ho-o-o-o-ld your horses! Cool your jets, Dude. Do the right thing. Slow down, stop and think!" Looking around the room, I noticed a tiny dark-haired boy wiggling around in his chair inattentively and not participating. Calling his name, I said, "Sweetie, point your bossing finger at yourself for me. Stick that finger in your face." Still squirming in his chair, the child solemnly took his index finger, pointed it at his face, and then promptly stuck it up his nose! Ummm, that's not precisely what I had in mind, but it did crack me up!