Jonah is NOT currently throwing rocks in the water.

Jonah is throwing rocks AT the water.

There is a difference.

When someone is throwing rocks IN the water, it is a fun, calming, often stress-relieving activity.

Jonah does this all the time.

However, we have been to the beach (ocean) virtually every day this past week and Jonah has learned firsthand about the “tide.”

The water doesn’t always STAY where it should “stay.”

We have a standard half-mile beach-combing loop that was established at a very specific time of day (when the tide was out).

And Jonah has now learned that his well-established beach-walking routine can be interrupted by THE WATER ITSELF.

The entire beach will be “swallowed up” in a matter of hours.

And we are still learning to be “okay” with that.

When Jonah is feeling anxiety, many times he will throw objects at whatever is bothering him.

So when Jonah feels anxious about the tide coming in, he will pick up rocks and start throwing them at the waves, yelling “ALL DONE WAVES!”

99.9% of the time, throwing rocks at something causing anxiety is NOT an acceptable solution.

That action will usually require an IMMEDIATE redirect,or the removal of his access to rocks (which would usually also be accompanied by a HUGE meltdown).

But Jonah seems to be genuinely calmed by throwing rocks both IN AND AT the water.

In this case it is not destructive and it helps to relieve his anxiety.

Which is really what I am after.

So my only action is to acknowledge the anxiety and repeat “all done waves” back to him which lets him know that he is being understood and reduces the anxieties.

It usually only takes a couple minutes for Jonah to again be ‘regulated.’

(At least until the next time he notices the tide coming in)