Little Deal or Big Deal?

One of the many child friendly terms that we use at school is "big/little deal." This is to convey the idea that a freak out is not always necessary. One of my favorite students ever, who happens to have a VERY volatile temper (she once threw a tray across the cafeteria because somebody served her a food she did not want) came to class with a heart shaped necklace that said "big deal or little deal" on it. This mantra was supposed to help her  put frustration in perspective before flying off the handle. When I told her it was time to clean up and warned her repeatedly to stop coloring she ignored me. After I took her sheet away from her she threw a marker against the wall with all her might and yelled at me. A classmate observed "You forgot to look at your heart necklace." Don't we all sometimes? I still love this kid, even if a meltdown is involved in most classes.