Wheel 1 of 4
The Safety wheel.
Emotional and physical safety. The foundation wheel, the one every other wheel rests on. When safety wobbles, the whole wagon leans.
Stretch 2 · Settling InEmotional and physical safety, the foundation upon which all other aspects of healing rest.
A wheel is built from a center hub, a rim on the outside, and spokes that connect the two. On this page you will find every hub inside this wheel, the spokes that hold each hub steady, and the rim that ties the whole wheel together.
Hubs and spokes
The building blocks inside this wheel.
Each hub is a bigger building block. Each spoke is a small, specific practice you can start with today. Pick one spoke. Leave the rest for later.
Personal and Environmental Safety
Ensuring the child's physical well-being and protection from harm.
Spoke
Emergency Skills
Teaching specific actions to take in different types of emergencies.
Spoke
Physical Boundaries
Educating on personal boundaries and the importance of personal space.
Spoke
Safe Exploration
Encouraging exploration within safe limits, guiding on hazards and signs of danger.
Spoke
Household Rules
Establishing clear, simple safety rules for the home with explained reasoning.
Emotional Well-being
Nurturing mental health, emotional resilience, and ability to cope with stress.
Spoke
Emotion Identification
Helping the child identify and name different emotions.
Spoke
Calming Strategies
Teaching strategies for calming down when upset or angry.
Spoke
Emotional Literacy
Reading stories or role-playing to help understand and empathize with emotions.
Spoke
Safe Expression
Providing a safe environment to express emotions, validating feelings without judgment.
Secure and Predictable Environment
Creating a stable, consistent, and reliable context for healing and growth.
Spoke
Consistent Routines
Establishing consistent daily routines for sleeping, eating, playing, learning.
Spoke
Familiar Settings
Maintaining a familiar, comfortable setting with personal safe space.
Spoke
Predictable Changes
Preparing the child in advance when changes are necessary.
Spoke
Clear Expectations
Setting clear, understandable expectations for behavior and routines.
The rim
Trust and Assurance
The overarching sense of safety, security, and confidence from consistent provision of needs.
The rim is the outer edge of the wheel, the part that actually touches the trail. Hubs and spokes give the wheel its shape. The rim is what the child experiences, day after day, as the wagon rolls forward.
Help pages
When this wheel gets loud.
If you are in a hard moment right now, these pages meet you where you are.
Keep reading
Where to go next.
Read another wheel, or open the glossary for any word that tripped you up.
Common questions.
Why is Safety one of the four wheels?
Emotional and physical safety, the foundation upon which all other aspects of healing rest.
What does the Personal and Environmental Safety hub cover?
Ensuring the child's physical well-being and protection from harm. It contains 4 spokes: Emergency Skills, Physical Boundaries, Safe Exploration, Household Rules.
What does the Emotional Well-being hub cover?
Nurturing mental health, emotional resilience, and ability to cope with stress. It contains 4 spokes: Emotion Identification, Calming Strategies, Emotional Literacy, Safe Expression.
What does the Secure and Predictable Environment hub cover?
Creating a stable, consistent, and reliable context for healing and growth. It contains 4 spokes: Consistent Routines, Familiar Settings, Predictable Changes, Clear Expectations.
What is the rim of the Safety wheel?
Trust and Assurance. The overarching sense of safety, security, and confidence from consistent provision of needs.