I Have Ants in My Pants (National Center for Youth Issues)

In "I Have Ants in My Pants," Julia Cook helps normalize the feeling many kids have when they struggle to control their wiggles and provides strategies for improving impulse control.

Some children just can't sit still no matter how hard they try. And Louis is no exception. He accidentally kicks his friend during story time. He can't stand still in the lunch line. And he wiggles in his seat at the movie theater.

Everyone keeps telling him he has ants in his pants, but Louis doesn't see any ants! Louis' mom explains that this means he wiggles a lot, and she teaches him a special tool, the Wiggle Dance.

"Wiggle and jiggle.

Jump up and down.

Shake your hands

and turn around."

"Take a deep breath.

Scrunch up your nose.

Wobble your knees

and wiggle your toes."

With a little practice and a few helpful tools, Louis learns that he can calm his wiggles and become the boss of the ants in his pants!