Why a Breathing Bunny Might Be Your Child’s Best Co-Regulator

Why a Breathing Bunny Might Be Your Child’s Best Co-Regulator

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When your child is overwhelmed, dysregulated, or struggling to settle at bedtime, they need more than instructions to “calm down.” They need co-regulation—a safe, soothing presence that helps their nervous system find its way back to calm. And while you are absolutely their primary co-regulator, sometimes a soft, breathing companion can bridge the gap when you can’t be physically present.

This is where our Breathing Rabbit Plush comes in—not as a replacement for connection, but as an extension of it.

All Kids Are Good Kids (Even When They’re Struggling)
At Raising Good Kids, we believe that all kids are good kids. When children act out, melt down, or struggle to regulate, they’re not being “bad”—they’re communicating an unmet need. Their behavior is information, not defiance.

From a trauma-informed perspective, we understand that dysregulation often stems from a nervous system that’s stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. Children who’ve experienced disruptions in early attachment, big transitions, or ongoing stress may find it especially difficult to self-soothe. Their nervous systems haven’t yet learned that safety and calm are possible states to return to.

This is why co-regulation matters so deeply. Before children can self-regulate, they need to experience regulation *with* someone else, to feel their nervous system settle in the presence of a calm, attuned caregiver.

The Science of Co-Regulation and Sensory Soothing
Attachment theory teaches us that children develop the capacity to regulate their emotions through their early relationships. When a caregiver responds consistently and sensitively to a child’s distress—holding them, speaking softly, matching their breathing—the child’s nervous system learns: “I’m not alone in this. Someone will help me find my way back to calm.”

Over time, these repeated experiences of co-regulation become internalized. The child begins to develop their own capacity for self-regulation. But this process takes years, and even then, all children (and adults) occasionally need external support to regulate.

Sensory input plays a powerful role in regulation. Rhythmic, predictable stimuli—like breathing, rocking, or gentle pressure—activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming the body down. This is why babies fall asleep on our chests listening to our heartbeat, why rocking chairs soothe, and why deep pressure hugs help during meltdowns.

The Breathing Rabbit Plush offers this same type of rhythmic, sensory input. Its gentle rise and fall mimics the breathing pattern of a calm, regulated person. For a child, holding the bunny can feel like being held—a soft, steady presence that says, “You’re safe. You can slow down now.”

When a Breathing Bunny Becomes a Secure Base
In attachment terms, a “secure base” is someone (or something) a child can return to for comfort and reassurance when the world feels too big or too scary. For securely attached children, parents are that secure base. But secure attachment doesn’t mean children never need other sources of comfort—it means they’ve learned that comfort is available and reliable.

For children with attachment challenges, or those navigating transitions like starting daycare, moving homes, or welcoming a new sibling, a transitional object like the breathing bunny can provide an additional layer of security. It becomes a portable safe place—a reminder that calm is accessible even when a caregiver isn’t physically there.

The bunny doesn’t replace you. It extends your presence. It holds the intention of comfort you’ve already taught your child.

Practical Ways to Use the Breathing Bunny
Here are some trauma-informed, attachment-focused ways to integrate the breathing bunny into your child’s routine:

Introduce it with connection