Sarah Habib, founder of The Calm Caterpillar, shares her journey in creating mindfulness tools that help children, both neurotypical and neurodivergent, manage big emotions. Sarahâs calm corner kits and sensory aids are transforming classrooms and homes by fostering emotional regulation and reducing disruptions. Read how sheâs making a difference nationwide, including her inspiring work in Uvalde, Texas.
Meet Sarah Habib: Founder of The Calm Caterpillar
Tara: Sarah, tell us who you are and what you do.
Sarah: I'm thrilled to talk about supporting neurodivergent kids in learning and managing emotions with you. Iâm Sarah Habib, founder of The Calm Caterpillar. Our mission is to equip kids with tools to manage tough emotions, whether at home or school, through engaging resources and programs. We want them to have this imaginary toolkit, no matter where they are, they can get them out and they can use them.
During the pandemic, we realized the importance of bridging home and school. We partnered with Cincinnati Public Schools, a Title 1 district, to send home 2,200 Calm Corner Kits to preschool families. These kits included a meditation cushion, breathing ball, parent guide, and hand-breathing poster. To ensure accessibility, we supplemented with twice-weekly texts, achieving an 86% response rate and measurable improvements in classroom behavior and social skills.
Consistency is key for neurodivergent kids, so we focus on equipping caregivers and educators with tools that mirror classroom strategies. This dual approach accelerates skill-building, as children practice emotional regulation both at home and in school.
The Journey Behind The Calm Caterpillar: Supporting Emotional Regulation
Our journey led to the creation of innovative tools like Calmee the Caterpillarâa weighted plush that mimics the feel of a breathing ballâand Bloomie, a tactile fidget tool designed to teach breathing techniques. These tools are transforming how kids, especially those who are neurodivergent, learn to manage emotions independently, reducing disruptions and fostering self-regulation.
Ultimately, our goal is to empower kids with lifelong skills to handle emotions while supporting caregivers and educators in creating environments where everyone thrives.
Tara: I love this, Sarah! The Bloomie is how I found you, and itâs such a brilliant tool. Like you said, while the “smell the flower, blow the candle” concept is great, Bloomie makes it more concrete, fun, and interactiveâperfect for kids who benefit from holding something tangible.
Using tools like this at school and home builds predictable routines, which I talk about with my members all the time. Predictable routines foster independence, reduce behaviors, and make skills automatic. When kids know how to use Bloomie, they can independently pick it up in a calming corner and self-regulate without extra guidance. Itâs such a game-changer!
Creating Tools For Mindfulness & Regulation
Sarah: Absolutely! For many kids, both neurotypical and neurodivergent, repetition helps them internalize the skill. Even without the tool, they can eventually recall, Whatâs that thing I do? and use their imagination to self-regulate. Tools like Bloomie provide the foundation for independence, so by the time theyâre older and facing intense emotions, they can remember and apply what theyâve learnedâeven if the tool isnât physically there.
Tara: Thatâs such a great point! Iâm so impressed by everything youâve done, from starting with Cincinnati Public Schools to creating these amazing tools. I didnât realize your weighted caterpillar could stretchâthatâs a game-changer! In my 10 years in early childhood, slightly weighted items were always popular for lap or shoulder use, especially during group time when larger weighted blankets arenât practical. Kids naturally gravitate toward tools like these!
Sarah: So Rory is special in that because, unlike Calmie, which features an inter-elastic core for stretching, Rory has a voice box. We designed this with the goal of reducing classroom disruptions and empowering kids to self-regulate. Rory actually guides children through lionâs breath by roaring to demonstrate the technique. If youâre feeling mad or sad, taking a big breath and roaring it out makes breathing fun and engaging for kids. Rory guides them with a voice, adds light weight for comfort, and creates a safe, interactive experience. By making it enjoyable, kids are more likely to practice and use these techniques in daily life.
Being Proactive With Mindfulness & Regulation Techniques
Tara: A key lesson Iâve learned from occupational therapists is to teach these techniques proactively, not during moments of dysregulation. Teach them in a fun, engaging way when kids are calm and ready to learn.
Sarah: Thatâs a great point! When we train caregivers and teachers, we use a stoplight analogy: green, yellow, red. If a child is in a meltdown (red), itâs not the time to practice breathing. We also encourage adults to apply the stoplight to themselves. I always start my trainings with this question: How do you feel when someone asks you to calm down?
Tara: Horrible
Sarah: You get offensive and mad. Yet how many educators and parents, myself included, have ever asked a kid to calm down?
Tara: All the time, in some form.
Sarah: Whether itâs saying “calm down” or “take a deep breath,” asking kids to regulate during a meltdown (red) doesnât work. The motor learning theory shows it takes 1,000 reps for a skill to become cognitiveâbut thatâs only possible when kids are calm and in a positive state. Educators and caregivers shouldnât ask, “Can you calm down?” because we all know how frustrating that is.
Tara: Great point! I love that you mentioned the green, yellow, red system is for adults, not kidsâitâs a helpful reminder for us. This also ties into co-regulation. We model calmness for kids, and if they donât want us nearby, we can still be present at their level, quietly showing calmness. We support them, rather than telling them to calm down.
Modeling Calming Techniques
Sarah: I agree completely. In my training, I often ask educators if theyâve ever sat in their own calm corner. Educators are already overwhelmed, but modeling calmness, especially when upset, can make a huge difference. When they take a moment to use a breathing technique, it shows students how to do it. The same goes for parentsâmodeling these techniques at home makes a big impact.
One breathing technique we use is buddy breathing. With younger or neurodivergent kids, physical touch can help, so we might trace fingers together while breathing in and out. For those who need a modification, we use a hand poster, and kids can trace with a pencil or pen. A fun approach is having kids cut out and decorate hands to tape on their desks for independent practice.
Tara: I love that! I think of my young students who have strong interests in certain things, like decorating with their favorite characters, such as Paw Patrol or Cocomelon. They could glue on little pieces of those characters to personalize their space.
Sarah: Right. They can make it about them. It's a way to share your sense of self through this project. It's something we really like to do with classrooms.
Tara: I love it. Oh, these ideas are so, so awesome. We talked about Bloomie and the weighted calm caterpillar. Do you sell them in kits?
Working with Schools: Bringing Calm Corner Kits to Classrooms Nationwide
Sarah: We offer kits with either Calmee (the caterpillar) or Rory (the lion). Bloomie is an add-on, not included in the kits. Each kit comes with a meditation cushion, breathing ball, and either a classroom guide or parent guide. The classroom guide includes a curriculum for schools, while the parent guide adapts it for home use, still following the same evidence-based methods. Kits may also include posters and books, with options for customization, allowing schools to choose what goes into their kits.
Tara: I love that this kit is adaptable for any classroom. As Sarah mentioned, it's not just for autistic kids but for all children. The tools are designed to be modified, such as limiting touch for neurodivergent children who may not like it. Before recording, Sarah shared her special work in Uvalde, Texas, after the school shooting. Can you tell us more about that?
Bringing Calm to Uvalde: Helping Kids Recover After Trauma
Sarah: In January, we had the opportunity to visit Uvalde and work with guidance counselors in the school district. We provided calm corner kits for classrooms and trained staff to implement emotional management techniques. Not all schools have calm corners, and we're aiming to change that. The focus was on combating adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which cause chronic stress and can reduce life expectancy. Mindfulness, breathing, and emotional management are key to mitigating ACEs. By incorporating mindfulness into education, we can help children, especially those in crisis like in Uvalde, manage stress and emotions.
Tara: I'm glad you brought up ACEs. Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) refer to traumatic events in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, or household dysfunction, that can lead to long-term health and emotional challenges.
Combating ACEs: How Sarah Habib is Helping Kids Cope with Trauma
Sarah: ACEs, or Adverse Childhood Experiences, are a screening tool to identify how past trauma impacts a person's current well-being. Each ACE represents a point, and a score of 3 or more is linked to a 10-year reduction in life expectancy. The ACEs study, led by Kaiser Permanente, highlights experiences like living with an alcoholic parent, abuse, food insecurity, or being part of a mass shooting event. Local organizations, like Joining Forces for Children, work to address ACEs' effects. The issue is widely recognized, with many schools screening students for ACEs, showing the importance of understanding and addressing this trauma.
Tara: Many autistic adults have shared that compliance-based teaching methods from their youth were traumatic, highlighting the importance of prioritizing compassion over compliance, especially with challenging behavior. This could also be considered in the context of ACEs.
Thank you for your work in Uvalde; the nation's heart broke after the school shooting, and it's so important to help mitigate long-term effects for those children.
Contact Sarah: Bringing Calm and Emotional Support to Your Classroom
If someone wants to work with you and bring calming kits to their classroom or district, how can they get in touch?
Sarah: You can contact us through the form on our website or email me directly at sarah@thecalmcaterpillar.com with any questions. We work with schools nationwide and would love to hear how we can help.
Tara: I love this, Sarah. Oh, thank you so much for being on the podcast and I can't wait to work with you more in the future because you're offering such an important and awesome service.
Connect with Sara:
Related Topics:
9 Fidget Toys For Self Regulation of Emotions
Episode 81: 5 Keys To Support Co-Regulation & Self-Regulation In Young Autistic Kids
Listen to the Podcast: Episode 97
Watch the interview:
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