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Free Printable · Impulse Control

The Stop Muscle

Six no-prep games that teach a body to wait — plus the words to use while you play.

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The Stop Muscle printable — six impulse control games for kids from Eat. Play. Love. Occupational Therapy

When a parent tells me their child doesn't listen — runs into the street, grabs before their turn, can't wait for "go" — it's almost never a listening problem. The brakes just aren't built yet. I call it the stop muscle, and like any muscle, it gets built by using it.

These are the six games I hand families in session. No worksheets, no screens, nothing to buy. Five to eight minutes is a full dose, and you play them when your child is calm — not in the middle of a hard moment.

Page two is for you: what to say instead of "good job," what to do when it falls apart, and a ten-day chart your child colors in.

Written by Lindsey Wood, MOT, OTR/L — pediatric occupational therapist and founder of Eat. Play. Love.

What's inside

Six no-prep impulse-control games
A "level up" variation for each one
Swap-the-words script for coaching in the moment
What to do when a game falls apart
How to sneak practice into an ordinary day
A ten-day chart your child colors in

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