Raising Stoics
Data · Social-emotional skills

“Calm down corner” went from unknown to a back-to-school staple

Google Trends shows how search interest in a phrase changes over time. Interest in "calm down corner" in the US was close to zero in 2016; now it peaks every August, when teachers and parents set up for the school year.

20162017201820192020202120222023202420252026

US search interest, index 0–100 (100 = the month with the most searches in the period). Source: Google Trends, search interest in "calm down corner", United States, monthly (retrieved September 25, 2026) · Data source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends). Chart: Raising Stoics — free to embed with credit.

What the data shows

  • In 2016 US search interest in "calm down corner" was at zero on Google's scale; by 2025 the yearly average was 42, and January–September 2026 averaged 46.
  • Every year peaks in August — back-to-school season. The highest month in the whole period was August 2025. Averaged over 2021–2026, August interest is about twice the typical month.
  • For comparison, interest in "tantrum" itself stayed roughly flat since 2016 (a separate Google Trends query, on its own scale): the problem isn't growing — the searches for tools are.

What it means for parents

A calm-down corner can help, but mostly when a child has practiced using it on good days and it isn't used as a time-out. The corner is a place to use a skill — breathing out slowly, pushing a wall, looking at a picture — not the skill itself.

Show the data as a table
Monthcalm down corner
Jan 20160
Feb 20160
Mar 20160
Apr 20160
May 20160
Jun 20160
Jul 20160
Aug 20160
Sep 20160
Oct 20160
Nov 20160
Dec 20160
Jan 20170
Feb 20170
Mar 20176
Apr 20170
May 20170
Jun 20170
Jul 20170
Aug 201714
Sep 20179
Oct 20178
Nov 20170
Dec 20177
Jan 20180
Feb 20186
Mar 20180
Apr 20186
May 20180
Jun 20180
Jul 201810
Aug 201827
Sep 201813
Oct 201813
Nov 201810
Dec 20180
Jan 20198
Feb 20197
Mar 201914
Apr 20197
May 201914
Jun 20190
Jul 201925
Aug 201955
Sep 201936
Oct 201924
Nov 201914
Dec 20199
Jan 202013
Feb 202011
Mar 202011
Apr 202013
May 202014
Jun 202012
Jul 202027
Aug 202042
Sep 202025
Oct 202013
Nov 20207
Dec 202012
Jan 202113
Feb 202114
Mar 20217
Apr 202110
May 202114
Jun 202116
Jul 202120
Aug 202136
Sep 202118
Oct 202120
Nov 202110
Dec 202112
Jan 202217
Feb 202224
Mar 202227
Apr 202220
May 202221
Jun 202222
Jul 202240
Aug 202278
Sep 202240
Oct 202237
Nov 202223
Dec 202223
Jan 202326
Feb 202336
Mar 202324
Apr 202327
May 202324
Jun 202334
Jul 202355
Aug 202389
Sep 202342
Oct 202342
Nov 202338
Dec 202326
Jan 202429
Feb 202436
Mar 202425
Apr 202430
May 202423
Jun 202424
Jul 202442
Aug 202491
Sep 202446
Oct 202440
Nov 202431
Dec 202429
Jan 202536
Feb 202532
Mar 202540
Apr 202534
May 202536
Jun 202530
Jul 202555
Aug 2025100
Sep 202548
Oct 202537
Nov 202525
Dec 202526
Jan 202641
Feb 202633
Mar 202641
Apr 202664
May 202653
Jun 202637
Jul 202636
Aug 202668
Sep 202640

Source and method

Source: Google Trends, search interest in "calm down corner", United States, monthly (retrieved September 25, 2026). License: Data source: Google Trends (https://www.google.com/trends).

Google Trends values are relative: 100 is the month with the most searches for this phrase in the US in the chosen period, and other months are scaled to it. Values come from a sample, so a fresh download can differ by a point or two. Monthly data, January 2016 to September 2026; September 2026 is partial. Retrieved September 25, 2026.

Download the data (CSV)

The Pause Button and six ways to calm down are part of the free printables, with the lesson that makes them work.

See the course

Read next