A parent has shared the unusual trick she used to calm her toddler’s tantrum on a flight in under a minute – and the internet is hooked.

Taking to Instagram, content creator and photographer Shante Hutton recommended a “nervous system reset hack” for toddlers who are in “meltdown mode” – and it might be particularly useful while travelling.

In a video shared by Hutton, her toddler can be seen sitting having his feet, and then his stomach, brushed with a comb.

“Take a small comb and gently brush their feet, hands, and tummy – slow, light strokes,” said Hutton. “It interrupts the overwhelm, gives their brain a new sensory input, and calms them down fast.”

The parent added that when she tried the trick, “we went from red-faced screaming to comatose in under a minute”.

She then urged families to add a comb to their carry-on luggage the next time they take a flight with young kids.

The post, uploaded a week ago, had almost 43,000 likes at the time of writing.

“My daughter[’s] OT [occupational therapy] recommend we brush her daily,” said one commenter. “Sounds like I own a horse, but it works.”

A grandparent added: “Interesting! I draw circles on their palms (or feet) with my finger and they almost go into a trance.”

One parent admitted they started “skin brushing” when their baby was a newborn and they “swear it helps with the milestones too”.

There were even some who joked: “Giving my husband a comb for my meltdown later.”

Obviously this isn’t a hack that works for everyone – we’re all different, and some kids might love the sensory experience while others… well, not so much. You know your child and whether they’d respond well to this or not.

Prevention is key. Take lots of snacks and toys to keep them occupied. Tablets can be useful if your child is of an age where they can be distracted by TV shows and films for periods of time.

One parent swears by painter’s tape to keep her child occupied on a plane – it’s cheap, easy to rip (and remove from surfaces, once stuck), and colourful. Just make sure you clean it all up before you disembark.

If your child is in the thick of a tantrum and the comb trick isn’t working, you could try asking them a “tiny, non-threatening question”, according to Jo Walker, a hypnotherapist at Walker’s Therapy.

The question should have nothing to do with the tantrum. So, Walker gave an example of, “hey, I just noticed your shoes. Where did you get those from?” or “what is the animal on your T-shirt?”.

Other parenting pros, like Jon Fogel, have recommended similar techniques, such as the colour game, where you ask your child to find something of a certain colour.

Other tips that experts say can help children during tantrums include whispering and getting down to their level, while verbalising why they’re upset and what you’re seeing.

Good luck!