Creating a Safe Place

By Shontia and Jayvon Johnson

“Come on guys!” These are the infamous words of Parker “PJ” when his desire is to draw the attention of a group in the room. We’ve watched PJ navigate rooms of people naturally through his hope to connect by sharing a toy or forcing someone to enjoy his favorite dinosaur show (lol). Filled with so much energy, it becomes overwhelming for him with emotions, and can cause the traditional, toddler tantrum.

If you are a toddler parent, then you know the difficulty of reeling in a little ball of emotions. We’ve learned to aid PJ in reconciling himself back to the space he is in, by simply being there. It may not sound like much, but our toddlers enjoy when we recognize and acknowledge that their feelings are valid, and simply care to console them back to a place of safety. PJ loves family time, we build our bases of love and care, creating a safe space not only in our home, but with us both as parents. This has resulted in him being able to reach a resolve of what love looks like and feels like, but also that he is significant and a key component!