Help for a 'highly strung' child

[MrsMinkBernardLundy]

My 5 yr old DT2 is highly strung. This is the most common expression people use to describe her. She is heart-on-her-sleeve emotional. generally happy but picks up on stress. (of which there has been a fair measure lately). she is bright. bubbly but occasionally wild as an alley cat.
She has quite poor impulse control (even for a 5 yr old).
So I was wondering if there is anything that can be done to help her manage stress or calm down and I think it may be an issues going forwards. Her dad has terrible stress management issues so I would like to get in early with coping strategies if that is possible.

any recommendations?

how much one-to-one time do you get together (genuine no screens or other distractions doing stuff together time)?

Wrapping her up tight in blankets or using heavy/weighted objects like lap pads or small heavy rucksacks could help. The wheat-bags designed to be microwaved and used as heat packs can make good weighted pads for across shoulders or laps.

Also get her to lie down with her hands on her tummy, fingers just touching and feel how breathing deeply can move her fingers apart and back together. This can be combined with breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth (sniff the strawberries then blow out the candle).

Fiddle toys can really help, especially squeezing stress balls slowly and releasing about ten or twenty times while counting.

You could get her to shut her eyes imagine being in her favourite place. This can be used as an escape in any environment. No need to lie down.

DD2 has been given all these strategies by CAMHS and and OT. There are more and I'll come back and post them if I can remember them.

We don't do a lot of screen time. but because i am an lp of twins with a Job we don't get that much one to one at all. mostly one to two. We do a lot of days out and cycling nd things like that but not very focused attention just close proximity because i have so much to get done in a day.
We talk quite a lot. but always three of us.

I think some of the breathing, squeezing balls might work.

Drawing frantic scribble helps a bit.

if scribbling helps you could also try ripping scrap paper and scrunching newspaper into balls to throw, using a bin or box as a target.

Thanks for the suggestions. Will definitely try dome of those when she gets to the end of her tether.

Has anyone any experience of being highly strung/ highly strung kids calming down in general so they don't get so worked up in the first place? I don't know yoga, karate, martial arts or some other disciplined pursuit?

Obviously i don't want to change her. she is fab. just make her passage through life a little stressful for her.
her dad obviously never found anyway of coping and is still very HS. it is ok isn't a child but really a bit disruptive in a full grown adult.

Look at this site
www.relaxkids.com/
For calming ideas, hey do classes too depending on where you are. We have the nighttime cds to help with sleep. They are truly great and in your position i might use them as a calm down for when shes being 'wild'. Make sure she sees it as a treat obviously!

That looks just the thing thanks.